LONDON: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday urged legislators in the United Kingdom to heed warnings that the proposed new Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, in its current form, risks undermining key human rights obligations that the UK has committed itself to respect.

"As currently drafted, the Bill would make it substantially less likely that UK service members on overseas operations would be held accountable for serious human rights violations amounting to international crimes," Bachelet said in a statement on Monday. She expressed concerns that, unless suitably amended, the Bill could lead to shielding military personnel operating abroad from due accountability for acts of torture or other serious international crimes.

As per reports, The Bill, now reaching its final stages in the legislative process, will shortly be debated again by the House of Lords, the UK's upper chamber, where amendments may still be made..

According to explanatory notes on the website of the UK Parliament, the purpose of the Bill is "to provide greater certainty for Service personnel and veterans in relation to claims and potential prosecution for historical events that occurred in the complex environment of armed conflict overseas".

Citing Article 2 of the UN Convention against Torture, Bachelet stressed that no exceptional circumstances should be invoked as a justification of torture, and the Bill risks undermining the country's obligations in a number of ways and could lead to serious crimes not being adequately addressed.

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