• Disarmament
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Human Rights
  • Humanitarian Affairs
  • Intellectual Property
  • Labour
  • Migration
  • Development
  • Science & Technology
  • Trade
  • Home
  • Permanent Mission to the UN
      • Back
      • Ambassador
      • Senior Mission Staff
      • Sri Lanka - UN Relations
      • Former Ambassadors
  • Permanent Mission to the WTO
      • Back
      • Ambassador
      • Mission Staff
      • Trade Policy
      • Business Opportunities
      • Former Ambassadors
      • Important Links
          • Back
          • Commerce Department
          • Sri Lanka Customs
          • Board of Investment
          • Dept of Registrar of Companies
          • National Intellectual Property Office
          • Tourism Promotion Bureau
          • Export Development Board
  • Consulate General
      • Back
      • Consul General
      • General Information
      • Consular Services
          • Back
          • Travel Documents
              • Back
              • New Passport
              • Lost Passport
              • Emergency Passport
              • Alterations
          • Registration of Birth
          • Death
              • Back
              • Registration of Death
              • Repatriation of Human Remains
              • Repatriation of ashes
          • Attestation of Documents
          • Legalization
          • Power of Attorney
          • Police Clearance Certificate
          • Attestation of Life Certificate
          • Dual Citizenship
          • Citizenship Certificates
          • Driving License
          • Certified Copies of Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
      • Visa
          • Back
          • Visit Visa
          • Business Visa
          • Diplomatic Visa
          • Journalist Visa
          • Work / Residence Visa
          • Golden Paradise Residence Visa
      • Mission Holidays
      • Community
  • Relations with Holy See
      • Back
      • Sri Lanka – Holy See Relations
      • News
  • Archives
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Disarmament
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Human Rights
  • Humanitarian Affairs
  • Intellectual Property
  • Labour
  • Migration
  • Development
  • Science & Technology
  • Trade

Sri Lanka for balanced and comprehensive disarmament, Sri Lanka’s envoy in Geneva says

Published: 26 June 2019
Last Updated: 26 April 2025

The international and regional strategic landscapes becoming increasingly constrained, only accentuates the need for the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to get down to its substantive task of negotiating appropriate disarmament frameworks, said Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez speaking at the CD Plenary Session in Geneva.

Speaking further, Sri Lanka's envoy called for balanced and comprehensive disarmament, that should be realized through a step by step approach, underpinned by the adoption of legally binding frameworks and through addressing existing legal gaps.

“We attach priority to full compliance with, and effective promotion of, the implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) without further delay, support the preservation of all existing disarmament architecture, remain committed to achieving a legally binding instrument on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS), and promote the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention and call for their effective and non-discriminatory implementation”.

Sri Lanka Updates HRC on Human Rights Measures taken to advance Human Rights, Peace and Security

Published: 25 June 2019
Last Updated: 25 June 2019

25 06 2019 emblem

The Sri Lanka delegation to the Human Rights Council briefed the Council today on progress made in addressing human rights concerns, national security imperatives, as well as reconciliation priorities. Sri Lanka’s intervention under Agenda Item 2 of the Council, followed the Oral Update provided by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Madam Michelle Bachelet at the opening of the 41st Session of the Human Rights Council on 24 June 2019, where a reference was made to Sri Lanka.

Clarifying the latest situation in the Country following the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks and its aftermath, Sri Lanka stated that it has made significant progress in assuring the security of all Sri Lankans and upholding law and order through the implementation of relevant laws and legal processes, among other important measures.

Sri Lanka further asserted that the national institutions in Sri Lanka continued to make interventions on issues pertaining to violence and extremism, as the Government pursued effective measures that have led to the dismantling of terrorist networks in the Country.

Statement is attached.

English

Sinhala

Tamil

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN

Geneva

25 June 2019

National laws and policies aim at effective prevention of Sale of Children and Child Prostitution and Pornography, Sri Lanka says in Geneva

Published: 03 June 2019
Last Updated: 13 February 2024

25 05 2019 crc1

The Sri Lanka delegation, presenting the country's first report under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, briefed the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the panoply of laws and executive and policy measures adopted by Sri Lanka to safeguard the rights of children and to ensure the wellbeing of children. 

Emphasizing that most of such measures even preceded Sri Lanka's ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Mrs. Dharshana Senanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, at the head of Sri Lanka's delegation, clarified “With the ratification of the Optional Protocol, the national laws have been further strengthened in such a manner as to cover all elements of the offences stipulated in the Optional Protocol.”

The delegation elaborated on legal and regulatory reforms such as the formulation of a Child Protection and Justice Bill on par with international standards, intended to better address the concerns related to children in conflict with law or in need of care, and the establishment of guidelines for the operation of day-care centers. Outlining the promotional and preventive activities undertaken by Ministries and other agencies in Sri Lanka to advance the best interest of the child, the delegation drew attention to the role of National Monitoring Committee (NMC) as an inclusive and robust monitoring mechanism.

Minister of Science, Technology and Research Sujeewa Senasinghe discusses further cooperation with CERN

Published: 22 May 2019
Last Updated: 14 February 2024

22 05 2019 CERN01

The Minister of Science, Technology and Research Sujeewa Senasinghe, during his visit to Geneva on 17 May 2019, extended an invitation to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to participate in the Shilpa Sena exposition to be launched in July 2019 in Colombo. The exposition will provide an excellent platform for CERN and Sri Lanka to showcase the ongoing collaboration, and its potential for advancement of science in Sri Lanka. It would help create awareness and interest among students on the importance of high energy physics for Sri Lanka, stated Minister Senasinghe.  

Welcoming the Minister and the Sri Lanka delegation, Ms. Charlotte Warakaulle, Director for International Relations highlighted Sri Lanka's expanding engagement with CERN over the past several years. She appreciated the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research for hosting the 2nd edition of the South Asian High Energy Physics Workshop on Detector Technology and Application in February this year. 

Minister Sujeewa Sengasinghe says technology and innovation will be brought closer to the public ensuring that one will be left behind

Published: 19 May 2019
Last Updated: 14 February 2024

17 05 2019 image 01

"Shilpa Sena", a rolling exposition will be launched island wide in July, geared towards bringing technological skills, knowledge and products to the general public, at a time when the country embraces new and emerging technologies. The aim of the exposition is to bridge the technological divide in the society while ensuring that no one will be left behind, as part of the government's wider policy of achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Minister of Science, Technology and Research Sujeewa Senasinghe made these remarks addressing the High-Level Round Table on "The impact of rapid technological change on sustainable development" on 14 May 2019 while participating in the 22nd Session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). The theme of this year's Commission was "The role of science, technology and innovation in empowering people and in ensuring inclusiveness and equality" and saw the participation of developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America as well as developed countries.

Speaking further, Minister Senasinghe stated that Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Neurotechnology, 5G and Internet of Things, Personalised Medicine, Blue-green Technologies, New Energy, Robotics and Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Artificial Intelligence and Space Technology have been identified as priority technology themes by the government for action. Highlighting the importance of Blue-Green economy, he stated that the objective of this initiative is to utilize ocean resources through enhanced scientific knowledge while drawing from Sri Lanka's rich heritage of indigenous knowledge.

Risk-sensitive economic planning critical for post-disaster revival

Published: 17 May 2019
Last Updated: 17 May 2019

17 05 2019 UNDRR

Risk-sensitive economic planning and coherence between climate and disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies are vital in building resilient societies and economies as envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez stated. He made these remarks addressing the Sixth Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva from 13 to 17 May 2019.

Sri Lanka is taking a number of initiatives towards this end, he added, highlighting national measures to establish an online damage and loss assessment system for all sectors in line with international standards, a Climate-Resilient Integrated Water Management Project aimed at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable smallholder farmers in the dry zone, and a Climate Resilience Improvement Project focused on building a more climate-resilient economy.  

“In Sri Lanka, national strategies for disaster risk reduction have been formulated for the period of 2019-2030 and the National Policy on Disaster Risk Management has been updated to enable risk-informed implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the UN Urban Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”

“Among specific measures taken or being taken are the introduction of an insurance scheme against natural disasters for all houses and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), National Building Codes for disaster-resilient construction, guidelines to mainstream disaster risk reduction, and mainstreaming DRR into the education sector,” he stated.

The Secretary-General’s statement on the postponement of CoP18

Published: 29 April 2019
Last Updated: 13 February 2024

26 04 2019 CITES

The Secretariat regrets to announce that the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18), originally scheduled to take place from 23 May to 3 June in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as well as the associated 71st and 72nd meetings of the Standing Committee, are being postponed. This decision has been taken out of respect for the victims of the recent attacks and the recognition by the Standing Committee, the Secretariat and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security of the time needed for the Government of Sri Lanka to address the current situation in the country.

We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all delegates. The Secretariat is monitoring the situation closely in consultation with the Sri Lankan authorities and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security. The Conference of the Parties has chosen Sri Lanka as next host Party and we are deeply grateful for the efforts Sri Lanka has made thus far as host.  The Secretariat will be working with Sri Lanka to try and honour this choice in consultation with the UN Department of Safety and Security and the CITES Standing Committee.

Our support and solidarity remain with the people of Sri Lanka and all of those who have suffered losses from these tragic events.

We will make further information about CoP18 available as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Secretariat continues to work on advancing the many substantive issues as mandated by the Conference of the Parties.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Ivonne Higuero
Secretary-General
26 April 2019

  1. Sri Lanka’s Mine Clearance Program Commended at a Congressional Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) / Demining Caucus Briefing on Sri Lanka
  2. Studying health effects of micro-plastics will be a catalyst in efforts to save our oceans
  3. Foreign Minister and delegation meet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Director General UN Office in Geneva

Page 26 of 86

  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30

Contact Us

Location: 56, rue de Moillebeau,(5th Floor),1209 Geneva

Postal Address: 56, Rue de Moillebeau, P.O. Box 54, 1211 Geneva 20

Tel: 022-9191251 , 022-9191250
Fax: 022-7349084

Email: prun.geneva@mfa.gov.lk
Web: www.lankamission.org/

Locate Us

Copyright © 2024 www.lankamission.org. All Rights Reserved.