A/HRC/22/38 for the objective of poverty alleviation and economic development. While the Government is reportedly committed to the holding of (overdue) elections for the Northern Provincial Council, doing so without the full and proper implementation of the 13th amendment would leave the Council without substantive powers. 53. On reparations, the Commission considered the role of compensatory relief in facilitating reconciliation, and examined the structures in place, focusing its recommendations on ensuring that those who are eligible for payments have access to it within a reasonable time frame (para. 9.153). Its recommendations revolved around the effective working of the Rehabilitation of Persons, Properties and Industries Authority which is responsible for providing compensatory relief to those who suffered loss and damage due to terrorist violence and security forces operations. By focusing only on the Authority and its shortcomings, including the lack of funds, the Commission regrettably disregarded other forms of reparations, beyond compensation, that may be possible. 54. The Commission nonetheless acknowledged the importance of “commemorative gestures” in providing the necessary impetus to the reconciliation process, and strongly recommended the expression of solidarity and empathy with all victims of the armed conflict at a high political level and through a separate event on Sri Lanka’s National Day (para. 9.285). Although this recommendation was incorporated into the national plan of action, the activities proposed regrettably do not go beyond current practices. 55. Following the end of the armed conflict, memorialization, an integral component of reparations, has been non-inclusive, a fact that risks further disaffecting the minority population. While memorials to soldiers and war museums have been built by the Government, it has to date made no effort to commemorate civilians who lost their lives in the war. Furthermore, most of the memorials have been built in the Tamil-majority Northern Province and tend to use triumphalist images from which the local population feels a strong sense of alienation. LTTE cemeteries, which also utilized militarist images, have also been destroyed. Furthermore, since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, the military has reportedly prevented civilians in the north from holding private and religious ceremonies to commemorate family members, both civilians and combatants, killed in the war. In another illustration of insensitivity, the military has constructed a holiday bungalow, called “Lagoon’s Edge”, on the site of the last battle during which thousands are believed to have been killed. 56. From the briefings that the OHCHR technical mission received on development and reconstruction initiatives in the north, it noted that several Government representatives viewed these efforts as benevolence on the part of the State, particularly towards the conflict-affected and minority populations, rather than the fulfilment of the State’s fundamental obligations towards its citizens. As a result, this may be a missed opportunity to couple the framework for development with a national reparations policy in which rightsholders are entitled to redress. VI. Possible areas of technical assistance by the Office of the High Commissioner 57. Following the OHCHR technical mission, on 26 November 2012, the High Commissioner wrote to the Government of Sri Lanka to propose possible areas for technical cooperation pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 19/2. The proposed areas fall under four key components of a comprehensive and human rights-based approach to transitional justice, namely, the right to truth, criminal justice and accountability, legal and institutional reforms, and the right to a remedy and reparations. In particular, the High Commissioner offered advice on the establishment of a follow-up truth-seeking mechanism 15