A/HRC/RES/46/1
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
26 March 2021
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-sixth session
22 February–24 March 2021
Agenda item 2
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 23 March 2021
46/1.
Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recalling the International
Covenants on Human Rights and other relevant instruments,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 19/2 of 22 March 2012, 22/1 of 21
March 2013, 25/1 of 27 March 2014, 30/1 of 1 October 2015, 34/1 of 23 March 2017 and
40/1 of 21 March 2019 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri
Lanka,
Recalling also that, in its resolution S-11/1 of 27 May 2009, the Human Rights
Council welcomed the resolve of Sri Lanka to begin a broader dialogue with all parties in
order to seek a political settlement and to bring about lasting peace and development in Sri
Lanka based on consensus among and respect for the rights of those from all ethnic and
religious groups, and endorsed the joint communiqué of 26 May 2009 of the President of Sri
Lanka and the Secretary-General, in which the Secretary-General, inter alia, underlined the
importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of international
humanitarian law and human rights law,
Reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
integrity of Sri Lanka,
Reaffirming also that it is the primary responsibility of each State to respect human
rights and to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by its
entire population,
Acknowledging the holding of free and transparent democratic elections in November
2019 and August 2020,
Noting the enactment of the twentieth amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka,
while stressing the importance of democratic governance and independent oversight of key
institutions,
Calling upon the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfil its commitments on the devolution
of political authority, which is integral to reconciliation and the full enjoyment of human
rights by all members of its population, and encouraging the Government to respect local
GE.21-04072(E)