UNITED NATIONS, Sep 06 (APP): Sri Lanka suffers from a continuing an accountability deficit – be it for war crime atrocities, recent human rights violations, corruption, or abuse of power – which must be addressed for the South Asian country to move forward, according to a UN Human Rights Office report published Wednesday.

“More than a year ago mass protests demanded better governance and an inclusive vision for Sri Lanka – in short, a renewal of the social contract. But the potential for a historic transformation that would address long-standing challenges is far from being realized,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement issued in Geneva.

Fourteen years since the end of the war, tens of thousands of victims and their families continue to experience the pain and agony of seeking truth, justice, and remedy. While the Government has proposed a new truth-seeking mechanism, the report stresses that the groundwork needs to be laid by genuine efforts to create the enabling environment for any transitional justice process to succeed.

This starts through meaningful and transparent consultations with victims and civil society on the current truth-seeking proposal and includes an end to all forms of harassment and unlawful and arbitrary surveillance against human rights defenders and victims’ groups, as well as support for initiatives to acknowledge and memorialize the experience of victims.

“Truth-seeking alone will not suffice. It must also be accompanied by a clear commitment to accountability and the political will to implement far-reaching change,” Turk said.

Among other recommendations, the report calls on the authorities to accelerate investigations and prosecutions into emblematic cases of human rights violations, as well as the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The High Commissioner has previously urged an independent investigation with international assistance to pursue further lines of inquiry into the full circumstances of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The report provides an update on the work of the accountability project established by the UN Human Rights Office pursuant to resolutions 46/1 and 51/1. The High Commissioner repeated his call for the international community to support accountability initiatives, notably through investigations and prosecutions using universal or extra-territorial jurisdiction, with other complementary measures.

The report also details a number of concerns with proposed new laws, including a new Anti-Terrorism Bill and legislation to regulate broadcasting.

The report notes that the President has set a different tone in advancing reconciliation initiatives and has promised to stop land acquisition for archaeological, or security purposes, which has been an increasing source of local conflicts and tension. At the same time, the UN Human Rights Office continued to receive reports of disputes over land, particularly in the North and East of the country.

The continuing impact of the economic crisis of 2022 and the global downturn on people’s human rights and well-being is highlighted in the report, including a dramatic increase in Sri Lanka’s poverty rate which doubled from 13% in 2021 to 25% in 2022. Food insecurity is affecting a significant proportion of the population, in turn impacting the right to health and increasing the risk of school dropouts.

The High Commissioner said the international community, including international financial institutions, should support Sri Lanka in its economic recovery and in meeting its international obligations while pressing for genuine progress in governance, transparency, and accountability.

“I urge the Government and Sri Lankan political parties to strive for and deliver on the urgent need for renewal, deeper institutional reforms and tangible progress on accountability, reconciliation and human rights,” Turk said. “This would be particularly appropriate in this year that marks both the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

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UNITED NATIONS, Sep 06 (APP): Amplified by wildfires and desert dust fanned by climate change, more frequent heatwaves are leading to a sharp drop in air quality and human health, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a Geneva-based UN agency, said in a report Wednesday.

The news came as the UN chief released a strongly worded statement on a record summer of global warming in the northern hemisphere, according to the European Union’s climate service Copernicus and WMO.

Earth has just experienced its hottest August on record – by a large margin – and the second hottest month ever after this July. Factoring in June, they represent the hottest three month period ever, the data indicates.

The year overall is the second warmest on record behind 2016, it was pointed out.

“Our planet has just endured a season of simmering – the hottest summer on record,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warning “climate breakdown has begun”.

“The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting”, the UN chief added, describing the consequences of humanity’s unleashed fossil fuel addiction.

As the climate crisis provokes more and more extreme weather worldwide, the UN chief called on leaders to “turn up the heat now for climate solutions”.

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin – coming on the heels of the Secretary General’s statement – puts the spotlight firmly on the damage caused by heatwaves.

It notes that high temperatures are not only a hazard by themselves, but they also trigger damaging pollution.

Based on the 2022 data, the report shows how heatwaves fanned a dangerous drop in air quality last year.

“Heatwaves worsen air quality, with knock-on effects on human health, ecosystems, agriculture and indeed our daily lives,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, commenting on the report’s findings, adding that climate change and air quality must be tackled together to break a vicious circle.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves.

“Smoke from wildfires contains a witch’s brew of chemicals that affects not only air quality and health, but also damages plants, ecosystems and crops – and leads to more carbon emissions and so more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said Lorenzo Labrador, a WMO scientific officer in the Global Atmosphere Watch network which compiled the Bulletin.

Last summer’s northern heatwave led to increased concentrations of pollutants such as harmful particulates and reactive gases such as nitrogen oxides.

In Europe, hundreds of air quality monitoring sites registered levels exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ozone air quality guideline levels of 100 µg m–3 over an eight-hour exposure.

When it comes to heat, city dwellers usually experience the most intense conditions.

With dense infrastructure and numerous tall buildings, urban areas end up with temperatures that are much higher compared to the rural surroundings.

This effect is usually referred to as creating an “urban heat island”. The magnitude of temperature difference varies but may reach up to 9°C at night.

As a result, people who live and work in cities, experience dangerous heat stress even at night.

There is a solution, though. A study in Sao Paulo, Brazil showed that both temperature and CO2 measurements are partly mitigated by incorporating more green spaces within cities, pointing to the benefits of nature-based solutions for climate change.

WMO released its report on the eve of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies marked on 7 September. The theme this year is Together for Clean Air, focusing on the need for strong partnerships, increased investment and shared responsibility to overcome air pollution.

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