Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner for Canada, Asoka Girihagama visited the Sri Lanka Pavilion and met with the Sri Lankan delegation consisting representatives from ten Sri Lankan companies who were on a promotional Mission to Canada at the Grocery Innovations Canada Exhibition which took place at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto on 22^nd of October 2019.

Grocery Innovations Canada is the only show in Canada which comprehensively connects grocery professionals and retailers. The show was an excellent opportunity for Sri Lankan companies to build relationships with the Canadian grocery sector as it brings together all facets of the grocery trade together under one roof.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Toronto and Mr. Peter Murphy, Canadian Marketing Consultant had organized this promotional mission to Canada coinciding with the Grocery Innovations Canada exhibition in Toronto. The Sri Lankan delegation comprised of representatives from Sri Lanka Export Development Board, GP International Inc., Hero Nature Products (Pvt) Ltd, Ecoma Organics Ltd, Bio Foods (Pvt) Ltd, Samanala Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd, Food & Nature (Pvt) Ltd, Jayalanka Suppliers, Sayaladu Coco Products (Pvt) Ltd, Waguruwela Oil Mills (Pvt) Ltd and Kandrick Tea Beverages Lanka. The Promotional Mission included a market orientation programme with a retail market visit, awareness sessions for Sri Lankan delegation and Sri Lanka product display pavilion themed “Island of Ingenuity” at the Grocery Innovations Canada Exhibition from 22^nd to 23^rd October 2019.

Sri Lanka High Commission

Ottawa

24^th October 2019

The Annual Katina Ceremony of the Ottawa Buddhist Vihara was held on 19^th of October 2019 at the Foster Farm Community Centre in Ottawa. Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner for Canada, Asoka Girihagama, Sudharma Girihagama and family was the main sponsor of the event.

 The ceremony commenced with katina robe procession and religious observances followed by dana to the monks. High Commissioner Girihagama together with the staff of the High Commission and the Buddhist community in Ottawa offered Dana (almsgiving) to 20 Buddhist monks who attended ceremony representing many Buddhist temples across Canada and Sri Lanka. Then, High Commissioner Girihagama offered katina-robe to monks followed by the Punya anumodana speech by chief incumbent monk of Ottawa Buddhist Vihara, Venerable Walassmulle Sirisumana thero. The ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by the High Commissioner Girihagama.

Read more: High Commissioner Girihgama Hosts Annual Katina Ceremony at Ottawa Buddhist Vihara

Asserting that despite many domestic priorities Sri Lanka has discharged its obligations in paying its assessments to date, the Sri Lanka delegation to the UNGA this week called on the United Nations Secretariat to utilize the available resources received from the Member States in a more effective, impartial and transparent manner, at a time when the Organization is battling its worst financial crisis leading to the implantation of austerity measures and limited operations.

Sri Lanka’s delegate, Deputy High Commissioner in Canada Ms. Sithara Khan made this observation at the Fifth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on improving the financial situation of the United Nations on 18 October 2019, in the presence of the President of the General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

The delegate appreciated the Secretary General’s assurance to meet obligations to Member States providing troops and equipment to UN Peace Keeping Operations as promptly as possible based on the availability of funds. Sri Lanka also urged the Secretariat to fulfill its financial obligations with regards to the peace keepers identified to be replaced, at the point of repatriation and added that it was important for the UN Secretariat to ensure a predictive system of payment on all dues concerning peacekeeping operations.

Recalling that Sri Lanka had been a regular contributor to the UN Peacekeeping Operations budget since 1960, Ms. Khan also expressed concern regards the practices adopted by the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) recently in relation to Sri Lanka, which was in violation of a MoU with a sovereign country, while challenging the decision of a Head of State. The delegate observed that the Secretariat had failed to formally reply the written communications addressed on the relevant aspects of the matter for over a month and added that it was important to have formal communications in order to avert confusion and misunderstanding on information provided verbally. She also called on the UN Secretariat to ensure that such a misplaced process should not be allowed to be systematized, in order to avoid politicization of the decision making process and for professional ethics of the organization to be secured.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

New York

18  October 2019

The new steering committee was appointed during the monthly luncheon meeting consisted of 25 spouses of Heads of Mission Spouses Association’s Asia-Pacific chapter held at the residence of the Ambassador for Japan in Ottawa on 04^th October 2019. Prior to Mrs. Girihagama’s appointment, Mrs. Aparna Swarup, spouse of India’s High Commissioner to Canada represented Asia region at the steering committee of Asia Pacific Heads of Missions Spouses Association.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga and Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada, Asoka Girihagama attended the 40^th Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly which was held from 24 September to 4 October 2019 in Montreal, Canada with a delegation of senior officials from Sri Lanka.

In his address at the Plenary on 28^th September 2019, Minister Ranatunga, the leader of the Sri Lanka delegation stated that significant progress had been made in the field of aviation in Sri Lanka due to the focus of the Government of Sri Lanka in promoting the aviation sector.

Minister Ranataunga stated that the Government of Sri Lanka had finalized a new National Civil Aviation Policy referred to as the NCAP in March of 2019 which emphasized the commitment of Sri Lanka to the importance of safety and economy of the aviation industry.  He also noted that the ICAO Global Regional Air Navigation Plan would be used as the basis for planning, designing, equipping and managing Sri Lanka’s airspace. Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s airspace would be managed to keep pace with ICAO’s advocated policy of Aviation System Block Upgrade that fulfills the requirements identified by the national air traffic management programmes.

ICAO policies and guidelines on principles of non-discrimination transparency cost-relatedness and consultation with users in the determination of levies fees and charges relating to civil aviation would be incorporated in the NCAP together with the creation of a separate Accident Investigation Bureau along with the recognition of business standards for designation in Bilateral Air Services Agreements.

The Minister noted that Sri Lanka had achieved result well above the global average in the ICAO Safety Oversight Audit in both 2010 and 2018 and that the consistency in safety oversight was a result of the ongoing commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other stakeholders. He also referred to the 10^th ICAN Conference in 2017 which was hosted by Sri Lanka and the 53^rd DGCA’s Conference of the Asia Pacific region in 2016.

Read more: Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka, Arjuna Ranatunga leads the Sri Lanka delegation to the 40th Session of the ICAO Assembly, in Montreal

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha who is presently leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 74^th Session of the UN General Assembly, met with Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT) and his team and Ms. Michéle Coninsx, Assistant-Secretary-General (ASG) and Executive Director of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week. Ambassador Kshenuka Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, and other senior officials were associated with the Foreign Secretary.

The Secretary thanked the UN and the international community who unreservedly condemned the Easter Sunday attacks, and for supporting the Government in numerous ways. He particularly noted that the recent visit undertaken by the ASG and Executive Director of the CTED, Ms. Michéle Coninsx had provided an opportunity to draw on international best practices in consolidating domestic efforts in countering terrorism and violent extremism among the relevant stakeholders.

Read more: Sri Lanka says tangible assistance needed to consolidate on Sri Lanka’s restoration of normalcy post 21/4

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha who is presently leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 74^th UN General Assembly Session, on Friday (27^th September 2019) met with Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (USSG/UNDPO) at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss obstacles placed on Sri Lanka’s Peacekeeping contribution to the UN.

Upon the Foreign Secretary seeking clarification on the statement made on 25^th September 2019 by the Deputy Spokesman of the UN Secretary General relating to Sri Lankan troops deployed for UN Peacekeeping, the Under Secretary General (USG) stated that only 25% of the troops from Sri Lanka presently engaged in peacekeeping operations will be replaced, when they complete their term in Lebanon. These places would be filled through a re-adjustment of existing peacekeepers presently in Lebanon. USG Lacroix confirmed that there will be no further reduction of Sri Lanka Peacekeepers.

Earlier, the Foreign Secretary pointed out that the President of Sri Lanka had appointed Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva as the Army Commander in the context that there were no factually substantiated or proven allegations of human rights violations against him, and by virtue of his being Chief of Staff at the time.

The Secretary observed that the Government of Sri Lanka disputes the credibility of the compiled reports relating to allegations against Lt. Gen. Silva. He recalled that the 2011 Darusman Report was so seriously flawed that the Human Rights Council at the time had rejected to issue it with a formal number, as a UN document.  Further, it was stated that the OHCHR Inquiry Report (OISL) of September 2015 made clear that “it was a human rights investigation and not a criminal investigation” and that “the names provided in the description of the chain of command do not imply criminal responsibility for those particularly alleged violations listed in this report, either as direct responsibility or under command or superior responsibility. Individual criminal responsibility can only be determined by a Court of Law with all necessary due process guaranteed.”  The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) publication of January 2019 was a re-formulation of previously published flawed material. 

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) as well as the Paranagama Commission reports, which were domestic processes that examined the allegations particularly with regard to the last stages of the conflict, have not found substantive evidence against the conduct of the current Army Commander, who has testified in person before both Commissions.

Read more: Foreign Secretary Aryasinha discusses obstacles placed on Sri Lanka’s Peacekeeping Contribution to the UN