Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha said over 70 years since Independence, Sri Lanka has never shied away from taking its fair share of responsibility in the UN system, which has helped Sri Lanka build an image as a moderate and progressive partner, able to bridge differences and build consensus.
He said, in Geneva, Sri Lanka continues to give leadership on a wide range of issues such as disarmament, migration, human rights, health, intellectual property, science and technology, and international trade policy.
Ambassador Aryasinha made these observations when he addressed representatives of the diplomatic community, UN and other international organizations based in Geneva and friends of Sri Lanka, at a ceremony held to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 70th Independence anniversary, at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Tuesday, February 6.
Permanent Sri Lankan Representative to World Trade Organization (WTO) Ambassador R. D. S. Kumararatne, Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Samantha Jayasuriya, and mission staff were associated with the ambassador at the event.
The centre piece of the Geneva celebrations was an exhibition titled Facets of Sri Lanka, conceptualized and organized by the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission in Geneva, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It comprised of seven facets: Reflections of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Relations, Sri Lanka in Geneva, Intellectual Property Assets of Sri Lanka, Visit Sri Lanka, Buy and Invest with Sri Lanka, Flavors of Sri Lanka, and Rhythms of Sri Lanka, which featured the state dance ensemble of the Cultural Affairs Ministry. A commemorative publication built around the seven themes was also launched at the event.
As a special tribute to the UN and other international organizations that the Sri Lanka Mission collaborates with in its day to day work, Facets of Sri Lanka was inaugurated by WIPO Director-General Dr. Francis Gurry, with United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) Director-General Michael Møller, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General Ambassador William Lacy Swing, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary-General Martin Chungong, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretary-General John E. Scanlon, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiaozhum Yi, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Deputy Secretary-General Malcom Johnson, Conference on Disarmament (CD) Director Anja Kaspersen, International Relations of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) Director Charlotte Lindberg Warakaulle, Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) Regional Perspectives Programme Head Col. (GS) Christian Bülmann, and interlocutors from these and other organizations based in Geneva.
Ambassador Aryasinha said while showcasing Sri Lanka’s historical and natural assets and abundant talent, Facets of Sri Lanka was an opportunity to salute the work done by all the previous ambassadors and staff who served in the mission in Geneva, Sri Lankans in the International Civil Service and other missions in Geneva, colleagues from diplomatic missions, the UNOG, UN agencies, WTO and other international organizations, who over the years, have supported Sri Lanka, and contributed to Sri Lanka’s standing in Geneva.
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