Peace in Sri Lanka

The Government of Sri Lanka welcomes the UN Security Council’s unanimous adoption on 26 July 2005, of a Resolution which gives effect to a series of measures including the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring and reporting mechanism for the protection of children exposed to armed conflict. Sri Lanka has always been in the forefront of advocating the rights of children exposed to armed conflict and has spoken in the UN Security Council debate supporting the UN Secretary-General’s action to monitor and protect these rights. Sri Lanka believes therefore that the adoption of this Resolution is a significant step to herald a “new era of application” which seeks to fulfill a long felt need.

The Resolution establishes a monitoring and reporting mechanism that will monitor grave violations such as killing or maiming of children, recruiting or using child soldiers, attacks against schools or hospitals, rape or other sexual violence against children and denial of humanitarian access to children. The Resolution calls for the eventual imposition of targeted and graduated sanctions against offending parties.

The Resolution therefore should be viewed as an opportunity for non-state actors such as the LTTE, which is named in the accompanying press release as an “offending party”, to demonstrate to their people and to the international community their commitment to adhere to humanitarian norms and principles especially in the context of their stated objective of joining the democratic process.