Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa Friday (13) morning visited the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the only U.N. headquarters in Africa and the global south.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa planted  a sapling of the African Rubber Tree on the premises of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). It has been a tradition for heads of state to plant a tree on their visits to UNON.

After planting  President  Rajapaksa i watered  the sapling of the African Rubber Tree that he planted on the premises of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON).

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa were guests at the 50th Independence Day celebrations held this morning at the Moi International Sports Complex (MISC) in Kasarani on the outskirts of Nairobi. 

Kenya’s independence movement got its footing when members of the Kikuyu, Embu, Meru and Kamba tribes, in 1942, took an oath to fight for freedom. This is what evolved into the Mau Mau Movement, and in 1952, Jomo Kenyatta, the current Kenyan President’s Father, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for his involvement with the Mau Mau Movement. He remained in prison for 10 years and became Kenya’s first prime minister when he was released in 1962. After Kenya gained independence from the British Dec. 12, 1963, Jomo Kenyatta became the country’s first president. 

Full text of the Condolence message……..

Full statement.....

WorkInSriLanka organization will hold its 2013 conference to December 23rd, 2013 at the Taj Samudra Hotel. WorkInSri Lanka is a volunteer-led initiative to advocate Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for highly skilled individuals and high calibre businesses.

The "Work in Sri Lanka 2013: Asia's Next Knowledge Hub" will bring together recent returnees, expats living in Sri Lanka as well as people considering returning or moving to Sri Lanka to discuss the opportunities and challenges in making Sri Lanka the preferred work destination.

The organizers of the event informed that the first session of the conference will layout the public and private sector vision for Sri Lanka for 2020. Returnees and expats are expected to showcase their stories and a panel of experts will discuss the challenges in making Sri Lanka a top work destination and what is being done about each of the challenging areas.

A panel of leading CEOs will discuss opportunities that exist in various industry segments for knowledge based work and entrepreneurial activity.

Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Chairman of the Personal Representatives of the Group of Fifteen (G-15) has said the group recognizes the need to address international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner, premised on the developmental paradigm of migration that is sensitive to the national circumstances of countries of origin, transit and destination and one that seeks to maximize the mutually beneficial nature of international migration while reducing its negative effects. He said the G-15 was committed to work together at both the regional and international level for the protection of migrants, and believed that the IOM should continue to play a lead role in discussions relating to the post-2015 development agenda on issues concerning migration.

Ambassador Aryasinha made these observations when he delivered a joint statement at the 103^rd Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held in Geneva, on 28 November 2013, on behalf of G-15, a Summit Level Group of Developing Countries comprising 17 member States - Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. 

This was the G-15’s first-ever Joint Statement at IOM, following the Foreign Ministers of G-15 at their 36^th Annual Meeting in New York on 27 September 2103 deciding to include “Migration and Development” as one of the four new thematic areas of focus for the Group in the coming years. The other three thematic areas identified are : Information Communication Technology; Renewable Energy; and Intellectual Property and Development.

Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare Dilan Perera has said Sri Lanka which recently assumed the Chairmanship of  the Colombo Process - the Regional Consultative Process on migration, will do its utmost to share its experience and bring together the eleven countries and nine observer countries of this group to address common interests, including the mismatches between supply and demand and applying ethical concepts to foreign employment management.  He said Sri Lanka will also play its full part in developing the post 2015 Millennium goal development architecture, emphasizing on Migration and Development.

The Minister made these observations when he addressed the 103^rd Session of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday ( 26^th November 2013) in Geneva. He said the IOM has been a pillar of strength supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to give migrant workers employment with dignity. 

Full Media Release.

Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Chairman of the Personal Representatives of the Group of Fifteen (G-15), has urged WIPO to take measures to promote South-South Cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property for Development. He said that “WIPO should act as a catalyst to increase triangular cooperation between developing countries and LDC’s, through initiatives to identify best practices in the use of intellectual property for, inter alia, technology transfer, public health, food security, and other global challenges in which intellectual property has an important role to play".

Ambassador Aryasinha made these observations when he delivered a joint statement at the Second Annual Conference on South-South Cooperation on Intellectual Property and Development, which followed the 12^th Session of Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) at WIPO in Geneva on 22 November 2013, on behalf of G-15, a Summit Level Group of Developing Countries comprising 17 member States - Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

The Foreign Ministers of G-15 in their 36^th Annual Meeting in New York on 27 September 2103 decided to include “Intellectual Property and Development” as one of the four new thematic areas of focus for the Group in the coming years. Other three thematic areas identified include: Information Communication Technology; Renewable Energy; and Migration and Development. This was G-15’s first-ever Joint Statement at WIPO.

Full text of the Statement...

His Holiness Pope Francis received Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa at an audience in the Vatican on Wednesday. Mr. Rajapaksa who visited the Vatican as the Special Envoy of His Excellency the President, conveyed to Pope Francis an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa to visit Sri Lanka in the near future.

During his visit, the Secretary also paid courtesy calls on dignitaries of the Vatican City State. Mr Rajapaksa appreciated efforts by the Holy See to promote world peace, disarmament, interfaith dialogue and dialogue among civilisations. He said that as a nation that has been blessed with a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural social fabric, and more importantly as a country that was coming out of a long period of conflict, Sri Lanka valued the strength that comes from the unity of the diverse communities in Sri Lanka. After almost thirty years of suffering, Sri Lanka had embarked upon a new era of development and reconciliation for all its people and looked upon the international community for encouragement and support.

He said that Sri Lanka was keen to explore further avenues to strengthen and consolidate relations between the Holy See and Sri Lanka.

The delegation accompanying Mr. Rajapaksa included Mrs. Ioma Rajapaksa, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Holy See Ravinatha Aryasinha, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Rome Bennet Cooray, the Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage and Chairman UDA Sirinimal Perera.

Media Release…..

Sri Lanka has attracted investment of $1 billion from the largest trade exhibition held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth leaders summit.

A 100-member Chinese delegation also attended the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) while 42 representatives from Chinese companies participated in the trade exhibition on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that ended Sunday, Xinua reported citing a statement issued by the country's industry ministry.

The biggest Lankan trade, tourism and investment exposition in history successfully concluded, with $1 billion in international business partnerships, the statement noted.

"There were more than 242,000 visitors, which included an unprecedented number of international buyers representing 66 countries, leading to 1,428 serious buyer visits and 101 promising meetings," said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said.

'Reflection of Sri Lanka' was inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the evening of Nov 13 in the presence of a large number of Lankan and international dignitaries as well as the media.

The strategic thinking behind 'Reflection of Sri Lanka' was to leverage the opportunities provided by CHOGM as a platform to illustrate Sri Lanka's capacity to easily integrate with global value chains.

The Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo ended on Sunday, 17^th November 2013. CHOGM Leaders issued a communique (Colombo Declaration) on sustainable, inclusive and equitable Development. The Colombo Declaration, agreeing to cooperate on a number of issues, including   poverty reduction, trade and youth affairs.

CHOGM 2013 Communique......

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said there is no need for an international inquiry into charges of war crimes and other human rights violations as there were ongoing independent domestic inquiries recommended by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

“Is it a crime to have saved lives…? People were dying. We stopped it. Pressure will not help. It is better to make a request”, President Rajapaksa said.

“At any rate, we are ready to face any allegations from anyone. We have nothing to hide,” President Rajapaksa told the media yesterday in Colombo.

President Rajapaksa said: “People in glass houses should not throw stones.”

The President said the issues involved were deep, and these could not be resolved in such a short time. Sri Lanka had gone through a 30-year-long conflict and the war had ended only four years ago, he pointed out.

“The processes relating to reconciliation are on, and they need to be given sufficient time to be completed,” he said.

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the Commonwealth to focus, as a matter of priority, on development challenges, confronting the majority of our member nations. “I see a compelling need for those who guide the destiny of the Commonwealth to give serious thought to practical modalities, focusing on social and economic issues. This will greatly enhance the relevance and value of the Commonwealth,” he said and posed the question, “Shouldn’t we be addressing more vigorously the issue of ‘common poverty’ before we talk about ‘common wealth’?”

Inaugurating the 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo today (November 15) President said, “If the Commonwealth is to remain relevant to its member countries, the Association must respond sensitively to the needs of its peoples and not let it turn into a punitive or judgemental body.” 

President Rajapaksa said and urged the member-nations to collectively guard against bilateral agendas being introduced into the Organisation, distorting Commonwealth traditions and consensus. “The strength of the Organisation lies in keeping the member countries together, helping one another in a spirit of partnership, making the Commonwealth truly unique.”

Sri Lankan leader thanked all who have been firm in their support and understanding of the related complexities in Sri Lanka’s post conflict phase. “This confidence reposed by them in my country, will greatly assist me in steering the Organisation’s future in the best interest of our peoples.”

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa said it is vital that all of us, as one cohesive body, adopt a collaborative approach to find ways and means in our own economies, to link wealth creation and social and human development, at all times. “To my mind, wealth creation is also the sustainable and continuous improvement, of human and natural capital, as well,” he said.

Inaugurating the Commonwealth Business Forum today (November 12) in Colombo he pointed out that some of the world’s richest and poorest citizens are in the Commonwealth - annual per capita incomes of the different countries range from about US$ 250, to over US$ 50,000. Referring to the goals set at the 1971 CHOGM in Singapore, and subsequently in Harare in 1991, he lamented that disparities amongst member countries, had in fact, worsened, after 20 years.

President said Sri Lanka could be cited as a classic example of a country that has relied upon a sustainable model of wealth creation, through the collective efforts of its many and varied stakeholders, together with a sustained approach towards social and human development.

“Any analyst, who cares to examine the Sri Lankan development case study, would be able to see clear signs of this pragmatic approach, which has led to the positive results in our country,” he said. “The selection of the Forum theme, namely, “Partnering for Wealth Creation and Social Development” is undoubtedly relevant and timely. The theme of today’s Forum ideally fits Sri Lanka’s own philosophy, while also articulating a vital need in today’s global economy”.

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa said it is important that one basic quality of feeling for one’s motherland and commitment to her well-being and the stature and territorial integrity of the country should be the crucial consideration of all civil society organizations. Inaugurating the Commonwealth People’s Forum today (Nov 10) in Galle, he said, “I look forward to seeing your Civil Society Statement, which will provide a solid foundation to facilitate this work, as people centric agenda. One cannot underestimate the creativity, insight and the specialized knowledge of the civil society that will add to the successful outcome of the CHOGM, and subsequently aid its members in the implementation process.”

He said that the vision for the world beyond 2015 will be to progress beyond poverty reduction, towards achieving holistic development that encompasses human rights, equality and sustainability. It would also have to incorporate the four dimensions: ensuring peace and security, inclusive economic sustainability.

Referring to the 30 year old conflict in Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa said, “this sad period of our history was destructive not only in a materialistic way, but also in a way that affected the very soul of our people, and our nation. We are finding our way once again, though there is many an obstacle.”

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the future success of the Commonwealth rests with the continued commitment and contributions of the young people. Inaugurating the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Magama Ruhunupura International Conference Centre in Hambantota today (November 10), he said the theme of this Forum, “Inclusive Development – Stronger Together” is very appropriate as “It signifies that united, we could achieve almost any goal”.

“It gives me immense happiness to see at this forum, among other participants, an ex-LTTE combatant included in the Sri Lankan delegation,” President Rajapaksa said. “It is noteworthy that we abide by the Commonwealth principles of restoring human dignity and equality among human beings in the Commonwealth.”

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Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Professor Karunaratne Hangawatte was unanimously elected as a Vice President of the 37^th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the inaugural plenary session on 5^th November 2013 in Paris. In the afternoon of 8^th November 2013, Ambassador Hangawatte chaired the General Policy Debate of the General Conference at which several Ministers of Education, Higher Education, Culture and Science took the floor to present their respective National Statements.

Ambassador Karunaratne Hangawatte, who is leading the Delegation of Sri Lanka to this biennial session of the General Conference highlighted the socio-economic achievements of the country while providing a detailed overview of the advancements that have occurred in Sri Lanka across the many areas of relevance to UNESCO.

Full text : Statement & Media Release

 
The Festival of Lights, Deepavali , symbolizes shedding the light of knowledge over the darkness of ignorance, leading to the triumph of good over evil, states President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a Deepavali message.

The message :

"The Hindus of Sri Lanka join their fellow believers the world over in celebrating this great festival by worship, spiritual chanting and lighting the flames of worship at shrines and illuminating homes with lights as an expression of veneration and gratitude to the deities for the attainment of knowledge and understanding to overcome the evils that arise from ignorance.

This is a celebration of the great spiritual values of Hinduism that transcend human practices full of the material values of the world.

"The festive day of Deepavali, is filled with the spirit of love and devotion and is an occasion for Hindus to strive for greater spirituality that fosters understanding among communities, increase harmony and shed differences in the new spirit of reconciliation after the three decade long conflict of hatred and violence, eschewed by all the spiritual values of Hinduism.

"May this Festival of Lights bring understanding, peace and joy among all followers of the teachings of Hinduism.

"I wish all Hindu devotees a happy and peaceful Deepavali."

Sri Lanka has come to the 60th position in the World Prosperity Index moving up eleven places in overall Prosperity since 2009 when the country defeated three decades of terrorism. 

In the 'Prosperity Index ' ranking of 142 countries compiled by London-based Legatum Institute Sri Lanka has moved up eleven places to 60th in overall Prosperity since 2009. Over the past five years, the country has increased twelve places to 35th in the Social Capital sub-index, due to increases in willingness to help strangers and trust levels.

Sri Lanka has seen big improvements in its economy scores, which have contributed to the country's improvements in the overall Prosperity Index. 

The Economy sub-index has risen twenty eight places to 74th since 2009, as a result of increases in capital per worker, gross domestic savings, perceived job availability, and satisfaction with access to adequate food and shelter.

Over the past five years, Sri Lanka has increased twelve places to 35th in the Social Capital sub-index, due to increases in willingness to help strangers and trust levels.

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa today declared opened the Colombo - Katunayake Expressway (CKE), the 26 kilometre high speed expressway linking Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake to Colombo.

Opening Sri Lanka's second expressway, President unveiled a commemorative plaque at the entrance to the CKE at Peliyagoda and drove his vehicle to the Seeduwa Control Exchange where he paid the toll.

He inspected the video system at the Seeduwa control stations and proceeded to the Katunayake Exchange where he was received by flag-waving school students.

Addressing the occasion the President said with the opening of the highway the government has proven that it can successfully meet any challenge thrown at the government.

He emphasized that the development of a country is gauged by the development of a road network in a country and the expressway declared open today will provide benefits to both the local and foreign people.

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