UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday accepted the findings of a report which highlighted the UN failures at the end of Sri Lanka's three-decade civil war in 2009, when thousands of civilians were reportedly killed, voicing his determination to draw "the appropriate lessons " from the failures, which he said "has profound implications" for the world body.

"The report concludes that the United Nations system failed to meet its responsibilities -- highlighting, in particular, the roles played by the Secretariat, the agencies and programs of the UN Country Team, and the members of the Security Council and Human Rights Council," the secretary-general said in a statement shortly after he received the report from an internal review panel at the UN Headquarters in New York.

"This finding has profound implications for our work across the world, and I am determined that the United Nations draws the appropriate lessons and does its utmost to earn the confidence of the world's people, especially those caught in conflict who look to the organization for help," the statement said.

However, Sri Lanka on Wednesday denied the allegations of the report, which said the government had intimidated UN humanitarian workers during the final stage of the civil war. Sri Lankan Plantations Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters in the capital Colombo that "No such thing. How can you intimidate them? They don't get intimidated by anyone."

Earlier on Wednesday, the secretary-general met with Charles Petrie, who headed the Independent Review Panel on Sri Lanka. During the meeting, Petrie briefed Ban on the findings and recommendations of the report, which the panel compiled after the eight-month study, said the statement.

"The conduct of the final months of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009 generated profound concerns about alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law," Ban said in the statement.

The Panel of Experts report raised a number of significant issues, including those regarding the United Nations response to the terrible situation facing civilians in the north of Sri Lanka, the statement said, adding that the Panel recommended "a comprehensive review of action by the United Nations system during the war in Sri Lanka and the aftermath, regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates."

"The Panel's report recognizes initiatives we have taken in the wake of the events in Sri Lanka to prevent a similar breakdown," Ban said in the statement. "However, I am fully committed to ensuring that we do much more."



As an immediate first step, Ban said that he will organize a senior-level team to give careful consideration to the recommendations and advise me on a way forward. Other action will follow in short order.

"As transparency and accountability are critical to the legitimacy and credibility of the United Nations, I also decided some days ago to make the report public," he said.



Martin Nesirky, the UN spokesman, told reporters here Wednesday that senior UN officials are expected to brief the press here on Thursday on the report.

"From the beginning of my tenure as Secretary-General, I have been committed to strengthening the United Nations and its core mission of protecting people from harm," Ban said. "Events today in Syria are the latest reminder of just how crucial that work is. "

"Our obligation to all humanity is to overcome our setbacks, learn from our mistakes, strengthen our responses, and act meaningfully and effectively for the future," the secretary- general said. "These principles and objectives drove me to establish the Panel and they will guide us as we take forward its outcomes."