Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Labour)

In the past few weeks there has been some progress on the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs); unconfirmed UN figures as of 26 October 2009 are that 32,000 people to date have been returned to their home areas, mainly to Jaffna, and 228,000 people remain in closed camps, mainly in Vavuniya. We are advocating at all levels with the Government of Sri Lanka freedom of movement for IDPs so that they can return to their areas of origin and be provided support when they return home. We are also encouraging the Government of Sri Lanka to co-operate constructively with the UN and other international humanitarian agencies. The monsoon season underlines the importance of progress on returns.

The European Commission published its report into its investigation of Sri Lanka's compliance with GSP plus conventions on 19 October 2009. The report raises serious concerns about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, which we share. The report is a precursor to the Commission's recommendation to EU member states on whether Sri Lanka should continue to benefit from the GSP+ trade preference scheme. We are clear that to do so Sri Lanka must respect its international human rights obligations under GSP+. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to engage with the Commission and to take immediate action to address the issues outlined in its report.

A sustainable political settlement will depend upon genuine reconciliation between all of Sri Lanka's communities. The Sri Lankan Government have made some progress, through for example opening up a dialogue between the President and the Tamil National Alliance, but more needs to be done in this regard in advance of any elections in Sri Lanka.

Implementation of the Government of Sri Lanka's own commitment to return the bulk of the IDPs to their homes by the end of the year will also be crucial for the long-term peace and stability of the country.