Mar 12, Geneva: While welcoming Sri Lanka's National Action Plan for implementation of some of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations, Japan today called on Sri Lanka to in future take up the recommendations that are not included in the National Action Plan.

Delivering a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council General Debate on Country reports by the High Commissioner/ Secretary General Tuesday, Japan welcomed Sri Lanka's "certain" progress on resettling IDPs and its cooperation with the international community such as by accepting an Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) mission.

Japan also noted that there are challenges to the steady implementation of the National Action Plan, including the issues of holding Northern Provincial Council elections and establishing the Public Service Commission in a timely manner.

Japan hoped that Sri Lanka in future would take up the LLRC recommendations currently not included in the National Action Plan and steadily achieve concrete outcomes towards the realization of national reconciliation.