Sri Lanka has joined a cross-regional group of countries in signing a letter addressed to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, expressing deep concern over the imposition of unilateral sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The letter was jointly signed by Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Iceland, Namibia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, and member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
In the joint statement, the signatories reaffirmed their strong support for Albanese’s mandate and emphasized the importance of protecting the independence and integrity of the UN Special Procedures mechanism. They urged the United Nations to uphold the autonomy of its human rights experts in the face of growing pressure and intimidation.
Echoing sentiments previously expressed by the President of the UN Human Rights Council, the letter conveyed regret over the decision to impose sanctions on Albanese and condemned such actions as politically motivated attempts to discredit the work of UN-mandated officials.
“These unwarranted and unjust attacks are clearly aimed at undermining the legitimacy and credibility of UN Special Procedures mandate holders, particularly those who expose grave violations of international law,” the letter stated.
The move reflects growing international concern about threats to the impartiality and effectiveness of UN human rights mechanisms, particularly when they address sensitive geopolitical issues such as the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
