A/HRC/42/40/Add.1
I.
Introduction
1.
This document contains information supplied by Governments, civil society
and other stakeholders, relating to the follow-up measures to the recommendations
made by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, following
its country visits. In paragraph 7 a) of its Resolution 7/12, the Human Rights Council
requested Governments that have accepted visits “to give all necessary attention to
the Working Group’s recommendations” and invited them to inform the Working
Group of “any action they take on those recommendations”. The Human Rights
council reiterates this request in paragraph 16 a) of its Resolution 21/4. Resolution
36/6 renews the mandate of the Working Group in conformity with the terms set forth
in Human Rights Council resolution 7/12.
2.
The Working Group decided in 2010 to adopt the present format to its followup reports with the aim of rendering it reader-friendly and of facilitating the
identification of concrete steps taken in response to the specific recommendations
and to reflect the opinions of the different actors involved in the process. For this
reason, follow-up tables have been created. The tables contain the recommendations
of the Working Group, a brief description of the situation when the country visit was
undertaken, an overview of the steps taken on the basis of the information gathered
by the Working Group both from governmental and non-governmental sources, and
the observations of the Working Group on the level of implementation of the
recommendations.
3.
The Working Group continues to offer its assistance to the Governments that
have received a visit, to comply with the recommendations made and stands ready to
assist them in their efforts to prevent and combat the heinous crime of enforced
disappearance.
II.
Sri Lanka
Follow-up to the recommendations made by the Working Group
on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in the report of its
visit to Sri Lanka from 9 to 18 November 2015
(A/HRC/33/51/Add.2)
4.
On 29 November 2018, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances requested the Government of Sri Lanka to provide information on
measures taken to implement the recommendations that were made in the report
A/HRC/33/51/Add.1 (paragraphs 77 - 84), after its visit to the country in November
2019. On 7 June 2019, the Government of Sri Lanka provided the requested
information. On 11 July 2019 the Government provided additional information, and
on 27 June 2019 the Office of Missing Persons provided an additional response. On
6 August 2019, the Working Group sent the below table for comments to the
Government of Sri Lanka, which provided further additional information on 5
September 2019.
5.
The Working Group thanks the Government of Sri Lanka for the cooperation
with the process of the follow up report. While welcoming progress in the
implementation of some recommendations, it notes that many have only been
partially addressed or have not been addressed at all. The Group underlines the
importance of full implementation of all of the recommendations made in the report.
6.
The Working Group welcomes the establishment of the Office of Missing
Persons (OMP), as well as information that it has a range of powers to obtain
information and evidence relevant to its investigations, that three regional offices
have been opened and several trilingual reports have been published. It also welcomes
information according to which the OMP now has access to the records of past
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