12 February 2020 12:01 am
By Ajith Siriwardana
Former Chief Justice Mohan Pieris said yesterday it was imperative that a committee comprising high officials be appointed to decide on a strategy to ensure the closure of the co-sponsored Geneva Resolution 30/1. He said this when delivering the keynote address at the launching of the book titled, “Foreign Policy Perspectives in 2020” compiled by Professor Sarath Wijesinghe on Monday at the OPA.
Mr. Peiris said there was an urgent need to initiate an immediate discussion with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Secretary General on the matter.
“We have to keep in mind that whatever action we take in our foreign policy on this matter, we must not permit the issue to cascade into the United Nations General Assembly with the potential of finding its way to the Security Council. The importance of the urgent need to initiate an immediate discussion with the UNHRC and the Secretary General, cannot be emphasized more. It is therefore imperative that a committee comprising high officials, be urgently put in place to decide on a strategy that will ensure the closure of 30/1,” he said.
Mr. Peiris said the MCC agreement must also come within the purview of this high-powered committee.
“The co-sponsored Resolution which we called upon all member states to support unreservedly requires little imagination as to how startlingly intrusive the resolution is. You will appreciate that it will be difficult for us to conceive of a more comprehensive foreign-led programme on matters as crucial as the involvement of foreign judges. This resolution which comes into focus next month in the ordinary course of the UNHRC, throws up many issues for consideration by our team,” he said.