UN counter-terrorism officials to visit Sri Lanka

A UN Committee would visit Sri Lanka, including war-torn Jaffna, to assess the implementation of a resolution that addresses threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism.
The importance of a comprehensive approach in countering terrorism in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, including human rights will be discussed during the three-day visit from today by the United Nations Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), UN officials here said.
Sri Lanka, however, has vowed to resist a UN Human Rights Council investigation into alleged war crimes during the last phase of the military conflict which ended in 2009.

The Tamil Tigers were engaged in an armed conflict with the Sri Lankan forces for nearly-three decades, but were defeated.
The Lankan government has defied calls to cooperate with the UN investigation into alleged war crimes committed by both the government troops and the Tamil Tigers during the last phase of the war.
The committee would assess Sri Lanka's implementation of the UN Security Council resolution to address threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

They would also recommend areas for Sri Lanka to receive technical assistance.
The delegation would also emphasise that terrorism can be defeated not only by military and law enforcement measures or judiciary decisions, but will also require constructive dialogue with communities.

Head of the delegation is Assistant Secretary-General Jean-Paul Laborde, Executive Director of CTED.
Members of the delegation include counter-terrorism experts from CTED focusing on legislation, law enforcement, and countering violent extremism, as well as representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL.