“The ongoing Sri Lanka-CERN cooperation could be further enhanced by involving other technical universities including in the engineering and information technology fields in the coming years”, said Minister of Science, Technology and Research, Skills Development and Vocational Training and Kandyan Heritage Dr. Sarath Amunugama at a discussion held with Ms. Charlotte Warakaulle, Director for International Relations, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, during his visit to the CERN on 15 May 2018. Sri Lanka – CERN partnership has recorded considerable increase in the participation of doctoral candidates and physicists in critical particle physics experiments of CERN.
While commending CERN for enhanced cooperation with Sri Lanka during the past few years, the Minister emphasized the importance of the involvement of undergraduates, PhD candidates as well as scientists in CERN experiments. Ms. Warakaulle stated that such exposures would provide an important opportunity to bring back to Sri Lanka not only the much needed knowledge on particle physics but also useful insights in the latest advancements in high technology. Access to data generated in the experiments, would be extremely useful for universities to broaden their research capacities as well as for potential use in industries, she stressed.
It was agreed that collaboration would continue in the form of training for Sri Lankan physicists and students in CERN experiments as well as in various other CERN programmes such as the prestigious ‘Summer Student Programme’, paving the way for building the critical mass of scientific expertise in Sri Lanka in the field of high energy particle physics.
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador A.L.A Azeez, called on the Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Ambassador William Lacy Swing. The IOM Chief commended Sri Lanka’s prominent role in promoting the Agenda on Migration Health, including by co-hosting the 2nd Global Consultation on Migration Health in Colombo in February 2017. The DG appreciated the statement delivered on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Health, at the recently held International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) in New York, which acknowledged the significant role that IOM was playing in advancing the SDGs.
Highlighting IOM’s enhanced collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka, with the undertaking of varied programmes such as post-arrival migration health, border management strategy, and support for Sri Lanka migrants abroad, Ambassador Lacy expressed satisfaction at the current level of engagement which he referred to as having “grown exponentially in the past few years”. He further complemented Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and its long held leadership to the Colombo Process (CP), calling it “one of the most vibrant Regional Consultative Processes (RCP) of IOM”.
Welcoming Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in his office, Mr. Houlin Zhao, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recalled his previous visits to the “beautiful country”, long before he became the ITU Secretary-General. Referring to higher social indicators that Sri Lanka has achieved including in literacy, he complimented Sri Lanka for making considerable strides in the IT Sector. It was satisfying that Sri Lanka has been placed as an important hub in regional trade and economic networks, he said.
Ambassador Azeez apprised the Secretary-General on the policy initiatives by the Government to integrate ITU as a key element in its national endeavours to realize SDGs in Sri Lanka. He stressed that through the effective implementation of SDGs, supported by advances in IT, the Government of Sri Lanka has envisioned to enhance economic and development gains for all peoples. In this context he explained the policy initiatives taken by Sri Lanka to bring ICT into ‘Sri Lanka Sustainability Strategy 2030’ which is being finalized. He also recalled the ratification by the Government of Sri Lanka of the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crimes, which demonstrated Sri Lanka’s proactive involvement in promoting ICT within the country and abroad.
Ambassador Azeez expressed Sri Lanka’s full support and cooperation in making ICT a central element in the SDGs as ITU moved forward with implementation of the UN Development Agenda. He assured the Secretary-General that ITU’s efforts in forging greater partnership among Member States leading to a successful review of implementation of the UN Development Agenda in 2020,- five years after its adoption, would help further enhance ITU’s role and standing in the International Development Community.
Sri Lanka Permanent Mission
Geneva
21 May 2018
Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Sri Lanka Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, delivering a Statement on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka at the 28th Special Session of the Human Rights Council today, 18 May 2018, emphasized that the security of all civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) should receive the utmost consideration and that their human rights should be upheld and protected at all times.
He further stressed "Diplomacy and political leadership still have immense potential to carry dialogue through to success if pursued diligently, having regard to the fundamentals of a Two State solution".
Full Statement , Sinhala, Tamil
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Geneva
18 May 2018
Addressing experts, Governments, and other participants at the Intersessional Expert Meeting on the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls and the systematic mainstreaming of gender perspective into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva stated “It is incumbent on all stakeholders to strive to create a culture of respect for equality and non-discrimination and to work towards dispelling the myth of inferiority attributed to women over centuries”. He called for all stakeholders to work together to ensure a dignified life and a better future for all women and girls.
The Intersessional Expert Meeting began its two day session in Geneva today, with the opening remarks of Ms. Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, followed by presentations by experts representing different UN agencies and an interactive dialogue.
“Carefully thought-through and targeted approaches geared to empowering women”, Ambassador Azeez stated, were “imperative for the effective advancement of development goals in national and international programmes.”
He emphasized that ensuring access to quality health services and quality education would significantly improve life chances and better employment opportunities for women and girls. “Such empowered women and girls can bring transformational improvements in the health and prosperity of families, communities, societies and nations they live in”, he remarked.
Sharing the experiences of Sri Lanka in recent times, he outlined the measures taken by the Government to address challenges faced by women, such as the adoption of a National Action Plan for prevention of gender based violence (GBV) and the National Human Rights Action Plan (2017-2021) as well as the enactment of legislation aimed at increasing women representation in local governing authorities.
Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative reiterated that achieving gender equality was not just an issue of women and girls, and that it went way beyond, calling for the active involvement of all stakeholders.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Geneva
2 May 2018
While individual States have the primary responsibility for national development, the need for further collective efforts and collaboration, between States and between numerous stakeholders, in addressing poverty, disasters, conflicts and health hazards are imperative, Sri Lanka said on 23rd April 2018, addressing the General Debate of the 19th Session of the Working Group on Right to Development (RtD). Sri Lanka’s Delegate Minister Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva Ms. Shashika Somaratne, while taking note of the progress made so far by the Working Group, reiterated the call for finalizing as a matter of urgency, the criteria and the operational sub-criteria, which are being under negotiation since 2010. In this context, she drew attention to the proposal by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), on a set of standards regarding the implementation of the Right to Development and the non-paper aimed at finalizing the consideration of the criteria and sub-criteria with a view, to facilitate the process.
In this context she further said that in Sri Lanka, the Government through its “Vision 2025 : A Country Enriched” policy document, has now launched a comprehensive framework to alleviate poverty, address regional disparities within the country, and promote prosperity to all its people, with a view to ensuring the holistic realization of Human Rights while implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. In addition, the Sustainable Development Act has been enacted by the Parliament in October 2017, and Sri Lanka will share its experience during the June 2018 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) of the ECOSOC in New York, by submitting its National Voluntary Review (NVR), on “Transformation towards Sustainable Resilient Societies”.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to UN in Geneva
24th April 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Hon. Tilak Marapana, PC., MP, addressed the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following the presentation of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka by Ms. Kate Gilmore, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, today 21 March 2018.
Hon. (Dr) Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Special Assignments, Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, Mr. Mano Tittawella, Secretary General, Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM), Mr. A.L.A. Azeez, Addl.Secretary/EU, Commonwealth and Multilateral Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nerin Pulle, Deputy Solicitor General, Attorney General’s Department, Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, Ms. Mahishini Colonne, Director General/UN, US and Canada of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prashanthi Mahindaratne, Advisor to the Hon. Prime Minister and the diplomatic officers of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva were associated with the Foreign Minister.
Full Statement by the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs
Festina Lente document as at 20 March 2018
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to UN in Geneva
21 March 2018