Consulate General of Sri Lanka

NOTICE TO SRI LANKA APPLICANTS

Announcement

The Consul General’s Office in Toronto wishes to inform Sri Lankan pensioners who are yet to submit their Life/Residence Certificates for 2021 for attestation by the Consulate to do so on/before 25 March 2021.

Since, the Consul General’s Office has to strictly follow the Ontario health guidelines with regard to COVID-19, and restrictions, all pensioners are kindly requested to adhere to the following instructions;

Duly fill the Life/Residence Certificates 2021 and place your signature at category 03 ( front page down) and the Declaration category on the reverse side of the form.

With duly filled form attach copies of the following

Only the photo page of your valid Sri Lankan or Canadian passport.

Pension card, and

A self-addressed stamped envelope in order to send you the attested copy

You can only drop off the form with the attachments in the special box at the Consul General’s Office or send by post.

If you wish to send by post please get your doctors attestation with his/her names stamp on the Certification category of the reverse side of the form. In order to avoid Covid-19 risk, specially disabled, medically, physically challenged and seniors are kindly requested to refrain from visiting our Office and instead send their forms with doctors attestation post with self addressed stamped envelope.

Due to Covid-19 risk, entrance to the building is restricted and facility is not provided to fill the form at the Office. No waiting will be available until Ontario Covid-19 restrictions are eased/lifted. Therefore, please fill your forms at home.

Upon receipt of your form, this Office will attest and forward the originals to the Pensions Department and send your copy to you in the self addressed envelope within 10 days.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation and wish you good health.
Visit our website: www.torontoslcg.org

NOTICE TO SRI LANKAN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS

FOREIGN RELATIONS MINISTER DINESH GUNAWARDENA DISCUSSES SYSTEMATIC REPATRIATION PROCESS

Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Foreign Relations, Skills Development, Employment and Labour Relations in an interview held on Siyatha TV ‘Morning Show’ at 6.55 am today (25 May 2020) discussed the systematic repatriation process of Overseas Sri Lankans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full interview at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MvhELfE98F4

SRI LANKA PLAYS AN ACTIVE ROLE AT THE CS 76 IN BANGKOK

Photo-76th-Session-of-ESCAP

The seventy-sixth session (CS 76) of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was successfully conducted on a virtual platform for the first time in its history, due to the COVID 19 situation, on 21 May 2020, in Bangkok. The CS 76 deliberated on ‘Promoting economic, social and environmental cooperation on oceans for sustainable development’, reiterating commitments to realize SDG 14 on ‘life below water’, as its key theme for the Session. Delegations also engaged on a discussion on ‘Regional cooperation to address the socio-economic effects of the global health crisis’, where Sri Lanka joined in cosponsoring the resolution presented by the Secretariat, emphasizing the need for collaborative action in response to the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic to the world and particularly to the developing countries in the most populous Asia and the Pacific Region.

Sri Lanka was also elected by acclamation to the Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) for the term 2020-2023, which is the regional body hosted in India, that is focusing on Science, Technology and Innovation; Technology Transfer; Technology Intelligence.

The Sri Lankan delegation led by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UNESCAP, Ambassador Samantha K. Jayasuriya, played an active role in showcasing Sri Lanka’s policies and best practices in the thematic area of oceans for sustainable development. Sri Lanka also presented GOSL’s efforts in responding to the COVID-19 health crisis and suggested useful recommendations to the UNESCAP to support its member States in addressing socio-economic impacts.

Assistant Permanent Representative, Saritha Ranatunga reiterating Sri Lanka’s strong support for the theme study by the Secretariat on ocean, elaborated Sri Lanka’s national commitment towards sustainable blue economy, sustainable fisheries, reducing marine plastic pollution, and peaceful navigation in Indian Ocean, and maritime connectivity. While highlighting Sri Lanka’s regional and international engagements she informed the Commission Sri Lanka’s role in coordinating the IORA Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security and initiating multilateral engagements series ‘The Indian Ocean: Defining our Future’. The Commission endorsed a resolution which was also cosponsored by GOSL, calling to conserve and sustainably use oceans and marine resources in the region through regional cooperation.

Making a further submission under the Agenda on regional cooperation to address the socio-economic effects of the global health crisis, the Deputy Permanent Representative, Poornima Gunasekera, elaborated the efforts taken by the Government of Sri Lanka in tackling and mitigating the risks associated with the corona virus pandemic. Presenting Sri Lanka’s recommendations to ESCAP for stronger regional cooperation to ensure a collective response, Ms. Gunasekera stressed on the need for developing a strong platform within UN ESCAP aiming at; sharing experiences and best practices, developing strong regional and global collaboration on enhancing capacity building in public health systems, exchanging technical cooperation and ways to access medical supplies at affordable prices and formulating and implementing macroeconomic policies, and negotiating regional cooperative mechanisms and agreements in trade and investment.

Ambassador Jayasuriya in her capacity as the Chair of the open-ended working group for reviewing the Conference structure of the Commission pursuant to the resolution 73/1, presented the Chair’s summary to the Commission recommending further negotiations on the subject.

Inaugurating the session online, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the Governments and leaders are grappling with a wide range of challenges that risk recent progress in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world and all have an opportunity to build back better on the foundations of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha also addressed the session via a video message.

The 76th Commission session, was attended by over 264 delegates, representing 54 Member States and associate members and 8 additional observer countries.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to UNESCAP

Bangkok

23 May 2020