Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga and State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya jointly addressed the Sri Lanka Heads of Mission and Post abroad on accelerating the tourism promotion activities of the Sri Lanka Missions and Posts on 01 December 2021 at the Foreign Ministry.  The Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Kimarli Fernando made a detailed presentation on the wide range of tourism attractions in Sri Lanka and the way forward to increase the number of inbound tourists.

It was decided to vigorously promote tourism openings in several sectors including health, religion, food, environment, sports, film and music through the 66 Sri Lanka Missions and Posts in different parts of the world and review the progress on a monthly basis.  Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry, Tourism Ministry and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau also participated in the meeting while the Heads of Mission and Post of Sri Lanka joined virtually.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

02 December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/sl-missions-toursm/)

Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris hosted a working dinner for the Heads of Mission of Islamic States in Colombo on 30 November. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also joined the occasion as Guest of Honour.

The Minister exchanged views with the Islamic envoys on the constructive role played by the Sri Lankan Muslim community both historically and in the recent political and social life in the country. This enriching interaction with the Muslim community of Sri Lanka extends to the most cordial relations Sri Lanka enjoys with the Islamic states of the international community.

The Minister stated that Sri Lanka will continue to uphold its rich democratic tradition as a society where every person irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or race enjoys the freedom to express their identity by practising their own religion, culture and language. This is also reflected in the rich and varied legal tradition of Sri Lanka which includes personal laws specific to Muslim, Kandyan and Tamil communities, which Sri Lanka will continue to retain. In recent years, as in other parts of the world, fringe groups of extremists in the name of various faiths have tried to disrupt this social harmony and create confusion in our society, including through the misuse of modern communication technology and ungoverned access to social media. The Minister also explained to the Islamic envoys the legislative steps currently underway to curb such hate speech.

The envoys present agreed that diversity of religion and culture was a strength to Sri Lanka and expressed confidence in the measures taken by the government to clarify ambiguities spread by extreme elements, as well as other recent progressive step relevant to the Muslim community. They expressed their solidarity with Sri Lanka in these efforts as well as their cooperation in overcoming the challenges related to economic recovery and progress.

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister thanked the envoys for the open and constructive discussion, and for their goodwill towards Sri Lanka.

The following Envoys joined the working dinner – The Ambassadors of Sultanate of Oman, The State of Palestine, The Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, The State of Qatar, The Republic of Turkey; The  High Commissioners of Malaysia, Republic of Maldives, The People’s Republic of Bangladesh; the Actg. High Commissioner of Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Charge D’Affaires of State of Libya, The Arab Republic of Egypt, State of Kuwait, Islamic Republic of Iran, United Arab Emirates.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

02 December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/islamic-states-fm-sl/)

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery including its causes and consequences Tomoya Obokata, who is currently undertaking a visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka, called on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L Peiris on Friday, 26 November, at the Foreign Ministry.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur includes but is not limited to issues such as: traditional slavery, debt bondage, forced labour, children in slavery and slavery-like conditions, sexual slavery, forced and early marriages as well as issues faced by migrant workers and foreign labour.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister discussed Sri Lanka’s progress related to labour welfare and the constructive steps taken by the government to eradicate child labour. He also elaborated on steps taken to bring our labour laws in line with international standards in a number of areas including child labour, migrant workers and debt bondage. The Special Rapporteur commended Sri Lanka on the progress made with regard to making Sri Lanka a ‘child labour free zone'.

The Foreign Minister outlined that Sri Lanka was conscious of protecting vulnerable labour groups and emphasized that Sri Lanka will continue to cooperate with the United Nations system. He stated that visits by Special Procedures Mandate Holders have been helpful in enhancing understanding of the specificities of Sri Lanka’s experiences in related fields as well as in improving domestic processes to be in line with our international commitments.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

01  December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/un-fm-sl/)

To mark the annual “Orange the World: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” international campaign, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Colombo Tanja Gonggrijp handed over the “Orange the World” banner to Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris at the Foreign Ministry on 26 November, 2021.

Accepting the banner, Minister Prof. G.L Peiris reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to combat Gender-Based Violence and briefed on initiatives taken by the Government of Sri Lanka in this area. He recognized that prevention and addressing sexual violence is an integral part of achieving Sustainable Goal 5 on Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls. He remarked that the government’s national policy framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour has given priority to gender equality, empowerment of women and minimization of gender-based violence.

The “Orange the World: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” international campaign was initiated in 1991. Every year the event commences on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.  The colour orange is meant to represent a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls.

According to the United Nations, globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors of violence against women.

State Minister of Women and Child Development Piyal Nishantha de Silva (M.P.) and Secretary to the State Ministry Kumari Jayasekara were also associated with the event.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

27 November, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/orange-the-world-fm/)

Chargé d'affaires of the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka called on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris on 26 November 2021.

In his opening remarks, the Chargé d'affaires extended greetings from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Al Nahyan and expressed the UAE government's willingness to enhance bilateral trade and economic relations with the government of Sri Lanka. Further, he also recalled the recent bilateral meeting held between Foreign Minister G.L Peiris with the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, at the sidelines of the 76 Session of the UNGA, New York.

Responding to the remarks made by the Chargé d'affaires, Foreign Minister Peiris expressed that the Government of Sri Lanka and the UAE has witnessed extremely cordial relations, and during his tenure he is looking forward to further strengthening Sri Lanka's relations with the UAE. Minister Peiris also noted with appreciation, the support extended by the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka in the Regional and Multilateral Fora.

Foreign Minister G.L Peiris emphasized the importance of cooperation among the member countries of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), where Sri Lanka took over as the Vice-Chair during the 21st Council of Ministers Meeting held at Dhaka, Bangladesh, and commended the role played by UAE as former Vice-Chair for the progress of the Association.

He also stated that he is looking forward to further discussing and deliberating on these issues during his participation at the 5th Indian Ocean Conference – IOC scheduled to be held in December 2021 in Abu Dhabi, UAE which will be Chaired by the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the theme “Ecology, Economy, and Epidemic”.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

28 November, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/charge-daffaires-uae-fm-sl/)

Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris was the Special Guest at the inauguration of the Annual Research Symposium 2021, at the University of Colombo on November 23.

The symposium brings together distinguished academics representing a number of disciplines, and highlights the theme for 2021 – Impartial Research through an Interdisciplinary Approach.

The event was also attended by the Acting High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Vinod K. Jacob, notable academics from the Faculty of the university.

Addressing the opening plenary session, the Minister, while stressing the importance of the symposium, drew particular attention to two principal aspects of symposium: namely, impactful research and the methodology adopted, in the wider context of interdisciplinary approach.

Elaborating on the role of the University of Colombo, the Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of the institution in fostering interaction within our diverse communities, adding that it is an area in which the University is capable of doing much more, especially in offering programmes of instruction to not only undergraduates but to professionals and members of the community who would benefit immensely from the expertise the metropolitan University has to offer.

Minister Prof. Peiris highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary research, and its immense contribution in dealing with many of the issues the country is facing at the present juncture, particularly in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation demanded the collaborative efforts of the many researchers, microbiologists and specialists who have been and are essential to crisis management. The Minister made special mention of the stellar contribution of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in this regard.

The Foreign Minister underscored the critical need for preparedness in crisis management, highlighting the recent Express Pearl disaster, and the invaluable contribution that an interdisciplinary approach could make in addressing the calamity and its collateral consequences.

Speaking further, Minister Prof. Peiris drew attention to the need for sustained research that can be undertaken in many fields that can inform the efforts of policymakers.

Elaborating on the genesis and evolution of the university system in Sri Lanka, Minister Prof. Peiris recalled the origins of the system and its development over the years from representing an elitist system to becoming a more inclusive system that welcomes students from a wide cross-section of society.

The Foreign Minister also highlighted the need for a change in the system to be socially relevant, in order to address the mismatch between the content of formal education and the availability of livelihoods, which would result in the production of employable graduates with competencies that match the job market.

Alluding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Neighbourhood First” and its potential for shared success, the Foreign Minister highlighted the vibrant relationship between India and Sri Lanka and their peoples emphasizing the scope for multi-faceted regional cooperation

Minister Prof. Peiris concluded his remarks by pointing out the disconnect between academia and vocational training and the need for greater focus on vocational training institutes so that a greater number of persons qualified in various skilled trades and professional occupations could be incorporated into the higher education system.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

26 November, 2021

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Videos can be downloaded through the following links:

https://we.tl/t-73dIIyNXnr

https://we.tl/t-gbtsKNRnHh

(https://mfa.gov.lk/fm-research-symposium-2021/)

The UN Assistant-Secretary-General (ASG) for Political, Peace building and Peace Operations, Khaled Khiari, who is currently undertaking a visit to Sri Lanka, called on Foreign Minister Prof  G.L. Peiris, on Tuesday, 23 November 2021 at the Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister discussed matters related to Sri Lanka’s post-COVID recovery including the economic challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic and the progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Minister outlined the recent progress made in domestic processes in relation to reconciliation and human rights, including the proposed revisions to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and reiterated the Government’s commitment to achieving tangible progress.

The Foreign Minister highlighted that Sri Lanka will continue to cooperate with the United Nations in order to achieve sustainable peace and development, in line with the international obligations that we have voluntarily undertaken.

ASG Khiari was accompanied by Resident Coordinator, United Nations Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, and other UN officials. Foreign Secretary and officials of the Foreign Ministry participated in the meeting.

ASG Khiari is visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka as a follow-up to the bilateral meeting with H.E. the President and the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) held in September this year on the side lines of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

24 November, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/unasg-fm-sl/)