Error

RSF_WARNING_HELPER_MISSING

Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Online Platform and Social Media Links - Digital Investment Summit 2023

We are excited to invite you to Digital Investment Summit 2023 on 13th October.

To join the event online, please find the Zoom meeting link below:

Zoom Meeting Link:

https://fcpl-biz.zoom.us/w/87414375565?tk=6Zn2nn1T-6BCNrbURXuK_xZNPWeNsCSMCOYUWCVhxBE.DQQAAAAUWk2EjRZaOUMyMnFSdFRZZWxoaHRGQk4wbk9nAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_hweWQ5c7R4217Cp-KOlRkw

Additionally, we encourage you to stay updated on event details and connect with us on social media. You can follow our Facebook page for event updates:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalInvestmentSummitSL?mibextid=LQQJ4d

If you'd like to connect with our team and fellow attendees on a professional platform, please feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sri-lanka-digital-investment-summit

Sri Lanka assumes the Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) at the 23rd Council of Ministers in Colombo

img_1_1

Sri Lanka assumed the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) at the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers which concluded in Colombo on 11 October 2023. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry chaired the meeting. Sri Lanka is a founding member of IORA which was established in 1997, and previously served as its Chair from 2003 to 2004. The 23rd IORA Council of Ministers was inaugurated with a colourful opening ceremony that brought the Indian Ocean into the conference room via virtual reality.

The Council of Ministers is the highest decision-making body of IORA and the Ministers are guided by the Senior Officials who meet as a Committee of Senior Officials, prior to the Council of Ministers. Accordingly, the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers was preceded by the 25th Committee of Senior Officials held on 09-10 October 2023, chaired by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, who reported on the deliberations and work carried out by the Senior Officials during their two day meeting to the Council of Ministers.

It is significant that the two IORA meetings in Colombo saw the participation of all 23 Member States and the 11 Dialogue Partners. This included the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, India, Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa and the Minister for Blue Economy of Tanzania as well as Ministerial and senior level participation from Australia, Comoros, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (member countries) and from China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States of America (dialogue partners).

img_1_2

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is the newest Dialogue Partner of the IORA attended the IORA meetings for the first time at the IORA meetings in Colombo.

Welcoming the Ministers and representatives of the Member States and Dialogue Partners who have gathered in Colombo, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said their presence was testament to the spirit of collaboration and cooperation that defines the region, and that Sri Lanka appreciated their commitment to strengthen the ties that bind the Indian Ocean community. He said that in the great tradition of hospitality, Sri Lanka opens its doors and its heart to all of its guests.

Minister Sabry added that the progress & recovery Sri Lanka has made would not have been possible without the unwavering support and cooperation of its friends in the region and beyond, as well as the resilience of the Sri Lankans.

Referring to the important role Sri Lanka has played in international affairs, Minister Sabry recalled that Sri Lanka was a part of the Bandung Conference which paved the way for the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement, which Sri Lanka led in 1976. Sri Lanka’s foreign policy has centred on peace, stability, diversity, and inclusivity both in the region, and beyond.

Minister Sabry also recalled the indelible mark Sri Lanka made on the world stage in the introduction and the passage of the historic resolution at the United Nations to declare the Indian Ocean region and its airspace as a Zone of Peace in 1971 which sought to transform the Indian Ocean into a symbol of cooperation, understanding, and tranquillity, transcending political boundaries and ideologies. He reiterated the unwavering faith Sri Lanka has placed on multilateralism and diplomacy as a means for the international community to work towards resolving a variety of recurrent challenges.

img_1_3

The Ministers discussed the ways to cooperate on the six priority areas identified by the Association, including Trade and Investment, Maritime Safety and Security, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, Women’s Empowerment and Blue Economy, among others.

img_1_4

The Ministers adopted the Colombo Communiqué at the conclusion of their Meeting as the outcome document. In the Communiqué, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the IORA goals and objectives enshrined in the Charter and pledged their support to Sri Lanka as the Chair of IORA to lead a vibrant and purpose-driven Association which fulfils its mandate to benefit all Member States and their peoples under the theme “Strengthening Regional Architecture: Reinforcing Indian Ocean Identity”. The Ministers also acknowledged with appreciation the offer of the Government of Sri Lanka to host a Leaders’ Summit of IORA in Colombo in 2024 to reflect on the Way Forward for the Indian Ocean Rim Association towards and beyond 2030.

img_1_5

The visiting Ministers made a collective call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and held bilateral discussions with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry during their stay in Sri Lanka.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

11 October 2023

Truth Behind Dare – Documentary

“Truth Behind Dare – Unearthing systematically suppressed the plight of humanity ended in 2009” is a documentary produced by the independent and non-profit media initiative Lanka Courier Documentaries Team.

The documentary deals with the atrocities committed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against the Tamil people of Sri Lanka. The documentary based on video evidence provided by former LTTE members highlights the plight of the Tamil people under the LTTE. The documentary also traces the tragic lives of children abducted by the LTTE from Tamil families in the area.

The documentary also depicts the brutality unleashed by the LTTE on animals in Sri Lanka. The full documentary can be viewed on the following link:

https://youtu.be/Fpz8Cl_-YpM

STATEMENT BY HON. FOREIGN MINISTER OF SRI LANKA AGENDA ITEM 2: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE ON THE OHCHR REPORT ‘PROMOTING RECONCILIATION, ACCOUNTABILITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SRI LANKA’ (A/HRC/46/20) 24TH FEBRUARY 2021

Madam President,
Madam High Commissioner,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The OHCHR Report which is presented today, emanates from the Resolution 30/1 and 40/1, from which the Government of Sri Lanka announced its withdrawal of co-sponsorship, at the 43rd Session of this Council last year.

Sri Lanka rejects the High Commissioner’s Report which has unjustifiably broadened its scope and mandate further, incorporating many issues of governance and matters that are essentially domestic for any self-respecting, sovereign country. This is in complete violation of Article 2 (7) of the Charter of the UN that states: “Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state…”

The trajectory that has emerged with regard to the recommendations and conclusions reflects the preconceived, politicized and prejudicial agenda which certain elements have relentlessly pursued against Sri Lanka. These recommendations are based on ill-founded allegations.

Sri Lanka categorically rejects the conclusions and recommendations in the High Commissioner’s Report.

The call for asset freezes, travel bans, references to the ICC and the exercise of universal jurisdiction by individual States, based on evidence that up to date has been denied access to and retained by the High Commissioners Office with some of it unreleased for thirty years, particularly in relation to a country like Sri Lanka which has consistently and constructively engaged with the UN and its mechanisms, points to a distinct and eminent danger which the international community as a whole need to take note of. Such unilateral actions by certain countries are unacceptable and a violation of the principles of natural justice.

In addition to the progress made since last March, Sri Lanka has provided written comments on instances of erroneous information, misconceived and arbitrary assessments in the Report. It is regrettable that the High Commissioners Office published its Report, accompanied by an unprecedented propaganda campaign on it and refused to publish our Comments on the report as an addendum. This has deprived Sri Lanka and members of equal visibility of Sri Lanka’s views on the report.

Sri Lanka refutes the allegations that have been reproduced in the High Commissioner’s report, from the highly contentious Report of the Panel of Experts (PoE) on Accountability and the Report of the High Commissioner’s Office Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), which have been rejected by Sri Lanka for reasons explained to this Council before. The contents of the Report which have been drawn from the said disputed reports are rife with factual inaccuracies that appear to equate atrocities committed by the LTTE, a terrorist organization proscribed internationally, with legitimate action taken by the government to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country and the right to life of our people.

Madam President,

Insistence on ever-expanding externally driven prescriptions, notwithstanding our continuous cooperation and engagement with this Council and all UN bodies, can pose numerous challenges and such processes could set a dangerous precedent affecting all member states of the UN.

We regret the disproportionate attention drawn to Sri Lanka by this Council, driven by political motivations. Sri Lanka calls upon the members of this Council that any resolution which is based on this Report, be rejected by the Council and be brought to a closure.

In conclusion,

We remain open to engaging constructively with the UN, including this Council, and the international community in mutually agreed areas, in conformity with the Constitution and in keeping with domestic priorities and policies.

Ayubowan

Sri Lanka to take over Chair of Indian Ocean Rim Association. Ministers meet in Colombo next week

Media Release

Sri Lanka to take over Chair of Indian Ocean Rim Association. Ministers meet in Colombo next week

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as well as other senior Ministers of IORA Member States and Dialogue Partners will arrive in Sri Lanka next week for the 23^rd IORA Council of Ministers which Sri Lanka is hosting on 11 October 2023 in Colombo. The Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo will see the participation of sixteen Ministers including the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, India, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa as well as Ministerial and senior level participation from Australia, Comoros, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (member countries) and from China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States of America (dialogue partners). The Council of Ministers is the highest decision making body of IORA.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will chair the Council when the current Chair, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh will hand over the chairmanship to the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.

The Council will be preceded by the 25^th meeting of the Committee of IORA Senior Officials (9-10 October) which will be chaired by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), established in 1997, is an intergovernmental organisation of States on the rim of the Indian Ocean. Its membership spans Africa, West Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and the Oceania. Today, IORA’s membership has expanded to 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners. Sri Lanka will assume the chairmanship of IORA for the period 2023 to 2025 at the 23^rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting.

The Ministers will deliberate on ways to cooperate on the six priority areas identified by the Association, including Trade and Investment, Maritime Safety and Security, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management and Blue Economy, among others. They will be guided by recommendations to be made by the 25^th Committee of IORA Senior Officials.

The Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association Dr Salman Al Farisi and the directors of the IORA Secretariat in Mauritius will also participate in the meeting.

The visiting Ministers will also make a collective call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and hold bilateral discussions with their Sri Lankan counterpart Foreign Minister Ali Sabry as well as with other Ministers, during their stay in Sri Lanka.