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Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Tilak Marapana, addresses the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

Published: 20 March 2019
Last Updated: 21 March 2019

20 03 2019 HRC

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Hon. Tilak Marapana, PC., MP, addressed the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following the presentation of the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka by madam Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, today 20 March 2019.

Hon. (Dr) Sarath Amunugama, Member of Parliament, the Governor of the Northern Province Hon (Dr) Suren Raghavan, Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha, Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, Permanent Representative Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Deputy Permanent Representative Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya and the diplomatic officers of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva were associated with the Foreign Minister. 

English - Full Statement , Reading Version

Sinhala - Full Statement , Reading Version

Tamil    - Full Statement , Reading Version

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Geneva

20 March 2019

Sports - an important means of empowering people and bridging divides within societies – Ambassador Azeez tells the Human Rights Council

Published: 14 March 2019
Last Updated: 14 March 2019

13 03 2019 hrc

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) as the Chair of the 2018 HRC Social Forum, today, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez stressed that the Forum provided a platform for a vibrant multi-stakeholder dialogue. He said it brought together governments, intergovernmental organisations, sports bodies, academia and the private sector, to address how best sports could be promoted as a means of empowering people while bridging divides among different segments of society.

“Sports, like diplomacy, has the potential to bring all actors beyond the immediate theatre of competition. They both encourage camaraderie and solidarity, to achieve shared objectives’ stated Ambassador Azeez, stressing further “‘win-win’ in sports, as in diplomacy, is to remain engaged, to build and maintain momentum and to reach the finish-line of pursuit”. He added “this pursuit should continue unfazed in the face of expressions of hate by any fringe elements and misinformation targeting professionals in both disciplines”.

The report of the 2018 HRC Social Forum on ‘Sports and Human Rights’ chaired by Sri Lanka placed emphasis on bilateral and other forms of cooperation as well as inclusive approach to physical education, physical activities and sports, based on human rights values. It further stated that sports and new technologies should embed human rights by design.

Comprehensive Disarmament the only way forward

Published: 04 March 2019
Last Updated: 26 April 2025

02 03 2019 CD image 01

“Sri Lanka stands for comprehensive disarmament, realized through a step by step approach, underpinned by the adoption of legally binding frameworks and the addressing of legal gaps”, Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva informed the Conference on Disarmament (CD).

Addressing the High Level Segment of the Conference, the Ambassador cautioned that an approach of “picking the pick-ables and leaving out the rest” in the UN Secretary General’s ‘Securing our common future: An Agenda for Disarmament’, may perpetuate existing imbalances rather than addressing them comprehensively.

“In Sri Lanka’s perspective, the launching of the ‘Agenda’ by the Secretary General marked a significant step forward. While we are encouraged that several countries have taken ideas from the ‘Agenda’ and have introduced multilateral initiatives, it is unfortunate that some others should have interpreted it only from the perspective of their own strategic priorities”, he said.

Sri Lanka's statement on the Report of the Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and Human Rights

Published: 01 March 2019
Last Updated: 13 February 2024

28 02 2019 hrc

"Sri Lanka has steadfastly pursued economic, social and cultural advancement as a developing country, with the same emphasis and thrust as for protection of civil and political rights" since becoming a State party to the covenants on civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights, said Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, today, 28 February 2019, at the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Participating as the "Country Concerned" at the Clustered Interactive Dialogue (ID) with the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights and Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Ambassador Azeez emphasized that poverty alleviation remained a high priority for the Government of Sri Lanka. "A holistic approach is being followed in addressing poverty and advancing national development" he further added.

The Statement followed the presentation of the Report (A/HRC/40/57/Add.2) on the visit of Independent Expert to Sri Lanka from 3rd to 11th September 2018.  Sri Lanka's observations on the Report of the Independent Expert are contained in document A/HRC/40/57/Add.4.  

Full Statement 


Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Geneva
28 February 2019

Sri Lanka says multilateralism could still deliver despite challenges

Published: 27 February 2019
Last Updated: 27 February 2019

26 02 2019 image

Addressing the Annual High-level Panel Discussion on Human Rights Mainstreaming on 25 February 2019, Sri Lanka said that having actively engaged in a number of inter-governmental processes and observing the overwhelming desire of the stakeholders to build consensus and collective outcomes over the last several years, it believed that the “picture is not entirely bleak”, and “there is still hope that multilateralism can deliver despite challenges”. 

Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative in Geneva Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya stated so, speaking on the theme ‘Human Rights in the light of multilateralism: opportunities, challenges and the way forward’, during the ongoing 40th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Making further comments, Mrs. Samantha Jayasuriya said the high-level panel discussion came at a time when there were broader concerns on whether the UN multilateral system was able to respond effectively, to a rapidly changing global peace, security and development architecture. She noted that in the recent years, the multilateral outcomes reached through the Paris Climate Change Summit, the Marrakech Global Migration Compact, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to name a few, had taken a human centric approach, integrating human rights and transforming them into actionable commitments. She stressed, however, that it was time to take a critical look on how and what more could be done to improve UN multilateral processes. 

Gender perspective and disarmament education imperative to address new and emerging security challenges -Ambassador Azeez

Published: 21 February 2019
Last Updated: 26 April 2025

20 02 2019 CD 1

"We need to seriously attempt at negotiating a Programme of Work for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation",  stated Sri Lanka's envoy in Geneva Ambassador A.L.A Azeez addressing the Plenary Session of the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD). He urged members of the CD to find a way forward that could facilitate, or create momentum for, work on all core issues. 

The Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka assured Sri Lanka's fullest support for all efforts towards generating consensus within CD, building upon the outcome achieved under Sri Lanka's presidency of the disarmament forum last year.

Ambassador Azeez highlighted the importance of CD being representative enough  of the whole range of views and perspectives on critical issues in the disarmament and non-proliferation arena. In this context, he streesed that education and training in disarmament and non -proliferation and integration of a gender perspective were necessary to help advance fully informed, well represented, result oriented negotiation on critical issues. 

Noting the stalemate in launching substantive negotiations, he asserted that 'Rules of Procedure should aid, not prevent, deliberations on substantive issues'.

He further urged delegations to take a hard look at the challenges that lay ahead, and to consider taking a constructive approach to negotiating a programme of work without further delay.

Full Statement by Ambassador Azeez

Sri Lanka Permanent Mission

Geneva

20 February 2019

Sri Lanka hosts 2nd South Asian High Energy Physics Instrumentation Workshop

Published: 31 January 2019
Last Updated: 14 February 2024

30 01 2019 CERN

At a luncheon gathering today (30.01.2019) of European Organization for Nuclear Physics (CERN) representatives & South Asian diplomats hosted by Sri Lanka, Ambassador Azeez emphasized the importance of networking between South Asian scientific community and CERN, as well as among scientific communities in the wider region. He said this would enable scientific advances to enhance South Asian countries' individual and collective capacities to contribute to the effective realization of SDGs and the empowerment of all people. 

The second South Asian High Energy Instrumentation Workshop (SAHEPI - 2) will take place in Sri Lanka from 20 - 21 February 2019, co-hosted by Ministry Science, Technology and Research and CERN. 

 

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Geneva

30th January 2018

  1. Sri Lanka pledges support for protection of refugees at the 2019 UNHCR Global Appeal
  2. Sri Lanka accords high priority to the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention
  3. ‘Sri Lanka has shown extraordinary seriousness at all levels to make ‘ Sri Lanka Mine Free by 2020’-UN Special Envoy Prince Mired

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