UN Human Rights Council Resolution 46/1 (2021) — Sri Lanka Accountability

Summary

UNHRC Resolution 46/1 (23 March 2021) established the Evidence and Accountability Project, mandating OHCHR to collect and preserve evidence of human rights violations for future accountability processes in Sri Lanka. Passed by 22 votes to 11 with 14 abstentions. Subsequent Resolution 51/1 (2022) extended the mandate. Sri Lanka voted against and does not cooperate.

Relevance to the diaspora

Tamil diaspora organisations have contributed evidence to the OHCHR Evidence and Accountability Project established under Res. 46/1; the project is designed to preserve admissible evidence for future criminal prosecutions (ICC or universal jurisdiction) and its output directly supports diaspora accountability litigation strategies.

Key provisions

• OP 6 — OHCHR to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve evidence
• OP 7 — information to be made available to national, regional and international accountability processes
• OP 8 — OHCHR to report to HRC at 47th, 51st and subsequent sessions
• Resolution 51/1 (2022) — extended mandate

Primary source

Related entries

• → Report of the UN Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka 2011 (UN)
• → Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998 (ICC)
• → Universal Jurisdiction — UK Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.134 (Torture), International Criminal Court Act 2001 (UK)