RW: IGNORANCE OF FORMER REGIME PLACED SL ON COLLISION COURSE WITH THE UN
Despite the integral role played by Sri Lanka towards the establishment of the UN in 1945, the ignorance of certain politicians and other officials of the previous govt. placed Sri Lanka on a collision course with the international community, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday.
Sri Lanka was a globally reputed State and made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the UN. ...
The Premier made these remarks in his address at the event held on Saturday morning at the UN’s Sri Lanka premises in Colombo, to mark twin anniversaries - the 70th UN Day and the 60th year since Sri Lanka became a member state of the UN.
“Sri Lanka was a globally reputed State and made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the UN. Unfortunately, we did not receive due recognition towards those efforts and that itself was a major setback,” he noted.
Mr. Wickremesinghe pointed out Sri Lanka’s political leadership since obtaining UN membership in 1955, had been working closely with the organisation, and thereby won a special place among the international community.
He criticised the decisions made by certain politicians and officials of the previous regime that resulted in Sri Lanka embarking on a collision course with the international community.
“The former regime believed that if it allied itself with states that did not see eye-to-eye with nations that challenged the State of affairs in Sri Lanka, it would help them overcome the issues that arose on an international level,” he said.
“The former regime aspired for Sri Lanka to lead the beggars of the international community and thought that it would help fight off battles with powerful nations, failing to understand that it is not the way in which diplomatic relations play out. . .”
Meanwhile, the PM’s sentiments on the way in which Sri Lanka’s relations with the UN and its agencies deteriorated during the past few years, were reflected in the speech made by President Maithripala Sirisena as well.
He pointed to the way in which a Minister of the former regime challenged the UN by staging a hunger strike before the UN Office in Colombo and the manner in which such actions were encouraged by the former political leadership, when he fed refreshments to the protesting Minister.
“It was such actions that deteriorated the cordial relations between the UN and Sri Lanka. The new government for the past ten months has been making efforts to control that damage and rekindle and restore the relations to its former state,” he said while adding the GoSL’s actions since the beginning of this year, has been aimed towards making it clear that Sri Lanka is a nation that took its duties and obligations to the international community seriously.
He also commended the media and communications outreach campaign that has been launched titled ‘ ’ to mark the celebration of the twin anniversaries and noted that it would create the necessary mindset within the masses to become ‘One Sri Lanka’.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Subinay Nandy in his address appreciated Sri Lanka’s renewed engagement with the UN and all its partners. He added the trust and cooperation borne out of the new relations culminated in the recently passed UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka.
The event was attended by top level UN as well as GoSL officials and Sri Lankans, who held high ranking positions in the UN.
The distinguished attendees including UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jen a, who is currently in the island on a four-day official visit.
He delivered the statement by UNSG Ban Ki-moon.
Among other guests were Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Minister Rauff Hakeem and Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala.
Speaking at the occasion, President Maithripala Sirisena commended the new government for working in cooperation with the UN and he assured the UN’s fullest support for Sri Lanka in the future too in eliminating poverty, strengthening peace and reconciliation in the country as well as for the development of the country.
President Sirisena praised the service rendered by the UN to the world during the 70 years in maintaining world peace and security and for improving coordination between Member States.
He also mentioned about how Sri Lanka distanced with the UN during the past and how it had now changed and the positive experiences he received working with the international community.
He did not forget to mention the continuous support given by the UN through its affiliated organisations for the development of Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka is highly satisfied with the services rendered by the UN as a humanitarian organisation to create better living standards and for the social, economic and cultural issues,” President Sirisena said.