During the 29th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and UN Advisers (29NDM) in Geneva, the National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) of Sri Lanka and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) co-hosted a side event on 'Ensuring Safe and Credible Land Release: Sri Lanka’s Completion Survey Process and Lessons Learnt' on 24 April 2026.
Speaking at the side event, National Director of Mine Action of Sri Lanka, Eng. Kumudu Lal Bogahawatta, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply and the panelists from NMAC and GICHD shared updates on Sri Lanka's Mine Action Strategy, Completion Survey Dashboard alongside the progress and challenges of Sri Lanka's Mine Action Programme.
Mr. Chair,
Sri Lanka also joins other in appreciating you and your team for presenting the updated version of the rolling text. We appreciate your continued efforts in incorporating most of the constructive contributions made by the delegations in previous sessions into the rolling text in a consolidated and inclusive approach. We also appreciate your efforts in streamlining the language and structure of the rolling text while retaining the provisionally agreed contents over the previous discussions.
The high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament commenced in Geneva on 23 February 2026 under the presidency of the Ambassador Omar Zniber of Morocco and will continue till 25 February 2026.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath addressing the Conference via a video message on the first day of the high-level segment, highlighted the importance of a robust multilateral system to overcome the prevailing challenges in the current global landscape to ensure enduring global peace and security to secure a stable world for present as well as future generations.
Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, Sri Lanka’s newly appointed envoy to the United Nations in Geneva met Ambassador Omar Zniber of Morocco, the current President to the Conference on Disarmament on 19 February 2026 and presented his Credentials as Sri Lanka’s new Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament.
Conference on Disarmament – 27 January 2026
Statement by Her Excellency Himalee Arunatilaka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva
Madam President,
Madam Secretary-General
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues
It is with deep honour, respect and gratitude that I take the floor today for the last time in my capacity as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, and to the Conference on Disarmament. I will be concluding my tenure and returning to Sri Lanka in a few days on the conclusion of my tenure in Geneva.
Madam President , Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to present Sri Lanka’s progress under Article 5 – Clearing Mined Areas, at the Twenty-Second Meeting of States Parties.
- Statement made by Mr. M.H.M. Zameel, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply at the Twenty Second Meeting of States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, 01-05 December 2025
- Statement by Sri Lanka at the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, in Geneva, 16-19 September 2025
- Intervention by Sri Lanka at the Sixth Meeting of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), 11-22 August 2025, in Geneva