UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. Distr. \* MERGEFORMAT LIMITED Symbol \* MERGEFORMAT A/HRC/S-11/L.2 25 May 2009 Original: Orig. Lang. \* MERGEFORMAT ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Eleventh special session 26 May 2009 Austria*, Belgium*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria*, Canada, Chile, Cyprus*, Czech Republic*, Denmark*, Estonia*, Finland*, France, Germany, Greece*, Hungary*, Ireland*, Italy, Latvia*, Lithuania*, Luxembourg*, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland*, Romania*, Spain*, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden*, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: draft decision S-11/... Draft decision on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka The Human Rights Council, 1. Takes note that the Sri Lankan Government announced the end of hostilities in the North of Sri Lanka; 2. Deplores the significant loss of human lives and suffering in the context of the current situation; 3. Unequivocally condemns all attacks that the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) launched on the civilian population and its practice of using civilians as human shields; 4. Urges the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate fully with humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross by ensuring full, safe and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to all persons in need throughout the country; 5. Recalls that States have the primary duty and responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to all segments of the population, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), without discrimination; 6. Calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure the freedom of movements of IDPs, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as other human rights such as the right to food and the right to the highest attainable level of health; 7. Calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to facilitate the safe return of IDPs to their homes as soon as is practically possible and following on to its commitment to return 80% of IDPs for their home by the end of the year; 8. Calls on the government of Sri Lanka to step up its efforts for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers in cooperation with relevant United Nations agencies and urges the Government of Sri Lanka to take all feasible measures to ensure the demobilization and effective disarmament of children used in armed conflicts and to implement effective measures for their rehabilitation, physical and psychological recovery and reintegration into society, in particular through educational measures, taking into account the rights and the specific needs and capacities of girls; 9. Urges the Government of Sri Lanka to continue strengthening its activities to ensure that there is no discrimination against ethnic minorities in the enjoyment of the full range of human rights; 10. Welcomes the cooperation of Sri Lanka with the thematic special procedures of the Council, encourages the government to strengthen its cooperation with them in addressing the current situation; 11. Is gravely concerned by violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law committed during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka and their impact on the civilian population especially women, children and vulnerable groups; 12. Stresses the importance of combating impunity and calls on the government of Sri Lanka to investigate all allegations and bring to justice, in accordance with international standards, perpetrators of violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, including hostage taking, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and to increase its efforts to further prevent such violations; 13. Urges the international community to support reconstruction in Sri Lanka and calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure an inclusive process of post-conflict reconstruction; 14. Calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to take measures to ensure full respect for the right to freedom of opinion and expression and protect human rights defenders, and effectively investigate allegations of attacks on journalists, media personnel and human rights defenders and prosecute those responsible; 15. Welcomes the visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Sri Lanka and encourages the government of Sri Lanka to cooperate with the Council and other relevant bodies to address the human rights and humanitarian situation, including through increased technical assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; 16. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to report to the Council, at its 12th session, on the progress made towards the implementation of this decision. ----- * Non-Member state of the Human Rights Council. A/HRC/S-11/L.2 page \* MERGEFORMAT 2 A/HRC/S-11/L.2 page \* MERGEFORMAT 3 Word.Picture.8