The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, abbreviated to IIGEP, was a group of individuals nominated by international donor countries and the government of Sri Lanka in 2006, vested with a wide mandate to observe all investigations and inquiries conducted by and on behalf of the Commission of Inquiry into alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. The following individuals were members of the IIGEP: Members Justice P.N. Bhagwati, India – Chairman, invited by the President Prof. Ivan Shearer, nominated by Australia Prof. Bruce Matthews, nominated by Canada Mr. Bernard Kouchner, France, nominated by the European Commission Judge Jean-Pierre Cot, France, nominated by the European Commission and replacing Mr. Kouchner Prof. Sir Nigel Rodley, nominated by the UK Prof. Yozo Yokota, nominated by Japan Cees Fasseur, nominated by the Netherlands Arthur “Gene” Dewey, nominated by USA Mr. Marzuki Darusman, (nominated by the Inter-Parliamentary Union) Kamal Hussein, Bangladesh (nominated by OHCHR) Mr. Andres Mauromatis, Cyprus (nominated by GoSL) Mandate The mandate of the IIGEP has come under criticism from several human rights organisations, underlining its inherent weaknesses, including: IIGEP did not have independent access to witnesses or conduct independent investigations, and the Commission of Inquiry early indicated that IIGEP were to observe and not investigate. The reports of the IIGEP where submitted to the President, who has the power to veto publication of information sensitive to national security - this is seen as especially disturbing given that Sri Lankan armed forces have been implicated in several of the killings that are to be investigated by the Commission of Inquiry. None of IIGEPs reports to the President have been publicized so far. Resignation The members of IIGEP at their November 2007 plenary concluded that they would terminate the IIGEP observation role with effect from April 1, 2008 and informed President Mahinda Rajapakse of their decision. In their concluding public statement, they outlined that they did not see that continued observation would change the situation, and that despite IIGEP drawing attention to defects in the workings of the Commission, their recommendations have been largely disregarded. In an IIGEP press briefing on April 22, 2008, three members of the IIGEP clarified matters relating to their resignation. Sir Nigel Rodley characterized some of the communications to the IIGEP, including to its chairman as 'very disrespectful', and added that the latest AG response to the April 14th IIGEP public statements contained baseless allegations that the IIGEP