Brussels/New York  - All sides in Sri Lanka's long-running conflict should do more to protect civilians and uphold human rights, European Union foreign affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Thursday.

"The rights and needs of civilians and those who are internally displaced by the ongoing conflict in the north (of Sri Lanka should be) fully respected, in line with international humanitarian law. Their safety and freedom of movement must be paramount," Ferrero- Waldner said in a statement.

After a meeting in New York on the fringes of the UN General Assembly, Ferrero-Waldner called on both the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to allow full access to relief supplies for refugees.

"I am preoccupied by the continuing disrespect for human rights by all sides and am very concerned by reports of forced recruitment and summary executions by the LTTE. These violations must cease and the perpetrators brought to justice," she said.

Ferrero-Waldner is the top foreign-policy official at the European Commission, the EU's executive. (dpa)