Feb 22, Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's special human rights envoy, Minister of Plantation Industries Mahinda Samarasinghe will lead the Sri Lankan delegation to the 22nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Plantation Industries Ministry sources said.

A statement issued by the Ministry to local media has stated that President Rajapaksa had made the appointment last night.

Minister Samarasinghe, who was a veteran in representing Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions, told local media earlier that he was not part of the delegation to Geneva for the upcoming session.

Reportedly he was removed from the list on a directive from the President.

Earlier reports said Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, was to head the activities at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on behalf of Sri Lanka.

The United States recently affirmed that it would present a new resolution on Sri Lanka at the upcoming UNHRC session since Sri Lanka has not shown much progress in implementing the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Sri Lanka has said that it is strategically working to meet with challenges successfully and prepared to face any situation at the UNHRC session.