It is vital to ensure that the wellbeing of a country like Sri Lanka, emerging from conflict and entering an era of stability and prosperity, should not be put in peril by domestic political interests in other countries.
External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris while criticising the Darusman Report regarding the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka said pivotal organs of the United Nations system must not only function with total impartiality and objectivity, but they must be seen manifestly to be doing so.
Minister Peiris addressing members of the French political establishment, the media, diplomats, scholars and representatives ofcivil society at the Acadimie Diplomatique Internationale in Paris recently had expressed confidenne that a French audience of thinkers and policy makers would place a premium on fairness and equity.
Minister Peiris said: Sri Lanka which has been a member of the world body since 1952 - is firmly resolved to work with the United Nations in a spirit of amity and candour.
However, it is important to insist that pivotal organs of the United Nations system must not only function with total impartiality and objectivity, but they must be seen manifestly to be doing so.
This is the essential condition for retaining unqualified confidence on the part of the international community as a whole, Prof. Peiris said. This consideration highlights the importance of a sharper focus on balanced representation for the different geographical regions in structures of the UN, the Minister added.
It is vital to ensure that the wellbeing of a country like Sri Lanka, emerging from conflict and entering an era of stability and prosperity, should not be put in peril by domestic political interests in other countries. It is well known that the diaspora has substantial political clout in many Western countries, not only in terms of voting strength but also with regard to financial and organisational capability.
It is quite apparent that the attitudes and postures of some Western countries in multilateral fora are determined, to a large extent, by assessment of domestic electoral fortunes, Minister Peiris said.
He was confident that France, with its political culture shaped strongly by nationalist sentiment and commitment to social equity in international relations, will have empathy with Sri Lanka’s cause at this challenging time.
Unjust value-judgments about Sri Lanka had arisen from the report of the Panel of Experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Assessed by any objective criteria, the report is deeply flawed, the Minister asserted.
Source: Daily Mirror, October 19, 2011
