By DPA,
Geneva : The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session on the situation in Sri Lanka next week, after finally gathering enough signatures of member states.
“The Human Rights Council cannot be silent when innocent civilians are caught up in armed conflicts,” the council’s President Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi said in a statement.
The decision was announced shortly after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would visit Sri Lanka this Friday and Saturday.
The council had just over one third of the 47 members’ signatures, with 17 members, including France, Germany and Britain, calling for the session.
UN officials have said war crimes might have been committed during the fighting between government forces and Tamil tiger rebels.