Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

On the invitation of President Moon Jae-in, the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena will undertake a state visit to the Republic of Korea from 28 to 30 November 2017, in conjunction with the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea. 

Read more: President Maithripala Sirisena to visit the Republic of Korea

A Sri Lankan won the Grand Prize at the world’s preeminent nature photography competition.

Lakshitha Karunarathna’s photo of a pride of huddling African lionesses was the Grand Prize winner of the 2017 Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice Awards held in Washington D.C. on Thursday, November 16. Karunarathna accepted the award at a gala event at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. This is the first time in the competition’s two-decade-long history a photographer from Sri Lanka has taken home the award.

Read more: A Sri Lankan’s Photograph of African Lionesses Captivates the World

Please find attached hereto, for your information, an article titled "Struggle for human rights in Sri Lanka: Progress despite a difficult legacy" by Hon. Dr. Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, which appeared in The Island on Friday, 17th November 2017. The article is also available online at  http://www.islandlk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=175125

Article in PDF.....

The Second Round of Senior Officials’ Talks between the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade concluded in Canberra on 16^th November 2017. 

Read more: Sri Lanka and Australia successfully conclude Second Round of Senior Officials’ Talks

Your letters: Sri Lanka has a long, proud history of peacekeeping with the UN-

Tues., Nov. 14, 2017 

Sri Lanka’s military aren’t ready to be peacekeepers, Opinion, Nov. 3

Unfortunately, this column by Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree does not portray the factual position regarding Sri Lanka’s contribution to UN peacekeeping missions, or the progressive developments in the country under the National Unity government.

Sri Lanka values its membership in the UN, which spans more than 60 years, and is committed to contributing positively to its work. Sri Lanka’s contribution to the work of the UN, for long years, is well acknowledged.

Source: The Star.com (Toronto Star) - Read the full response......

Sri Lanka's Report under the Universal Periodic Review comes up for consideration by the OHCHR Working Group on UPR on Wednesday 15 November 2017, in Geneva. 

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in 2006, as a process through which the human rights record of every UN Member State is peer-reviewed. 

Read more: Sri Lanka to be reviewed at the 28th Session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group on 15 November 2017

Ceylon Tea was promoted at a “Tea Festival” organized by the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington, Ontario, in partnership with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Toronto and the Tea Association of Canada, held on 4^th - 5^th November 2017 at the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington. 

Read more: Ceylon Tea Promotion at Royal Botanical Gardens, Ontario