UN basement meetings on Sri Lanka, a Japanese innovation

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 August 2010, 18:10 GMT]
Outgoing Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations, Yuki Takasu, when asked on July 27 by Inner City Press (ICP) to describe innovations during his time in charge of the Security Council's working methods, listed the Council's informal basement meetings on Sri Lanka, in the final stages of the conflict, ICP reports in its website. ICP also said that Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, is listed as attending the September General Debate in the UN.

"If he [Rajapakse] does [come to the UN], this would be a perfect time for the panel to interview him. His embattled minister of external affairs G.L. Peiris has already said the panel will not get visa to visit Sri Lanka. So let Mahinda cooperate with the panel while he is in New York. If, that is, he comes to New York," ICP said.

Meanwhile, Lakbima, in the Sunday edition said that Sri Lanka's diplomatic corps is full of political appointees and lack skills to present a coherent stand in representing Colombo in foreign policy matters. Many skilful diplomats have been sidelined, the paper said, adding the latest in a string of diplomatic setbacks is the refusal by Non-Aligned Member (NAM) to back Colombo in its opposition to the appointment of UN war-crimes advisory panel.

External Links:

Lakbima:		Diplomercy with the diplomuts
ICP:		At UN, Sri Lanka Panel Stalled on Staffing, Rajapaksa's RSVP for September