GENEVA: In his speech on the sidelines of an official debate on human rights in Geneva, Abdul Mohsen bin Khuthaila, permanent delegate of the Kingdom to the UN in Geneva and a representative of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said that council member states encourage the efforts of the Sri Lankan government to achieve national reconciliation. The country is aiming to defuse tension and restore stability to political life. Addressing the 51st session of the Human Rights Council, which submitted for discussion a report on Sri Lanka, Khuthaila said the council affirms the importance of enforcing international human rights laws and supports all open and effective dialogue that enhances cooperation with the countries involved to this end. The GCC also stresses that protecting human rights is a collective responsibility that requires intensive work, concerted dialogue and constructive cooperation, Khuthaila said, and that the principles of universality and impartiality must be upheld to meet this commitment. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said the government was focusing on improving human rights, but would object to any international judicial intervention that it sees as anti-constitutional. Sabry said the government planned a mechanism to promote reconciliation, and referred to work on constitutional reform to promote anti-corruption measures and trim presidential powers.