"Multilateralism is not about the UN agenda responding only to the demands of a minority of powerful States, but also defending the interest of the powerless majority. It is also imperative that the prohibition reflected in the Article 2 (7) of the Charter that the UN should not interfere in the internal affairs of States be respected," said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake addressing the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York (Sept. 26).

Right of Reply exercised by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights to issues raised under Item 4 of the Agenda of the Human Rights Council: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention     

Sri Lanka regrets the disinformation purveyed by some Non-Governmental Organizations in the course of the debate on Item 4 of the Agenda of the Human Rights Council. Sadly we seem to have abandoned traditional values, or rather Christian values and the Ten Commandments, but the Prophet Moses would surely have spanked, if only metaphorically, those organizations that persistently bear False Witness as part of their relentlessly vindictive campaign against the Sri Lankan State.

Statement of Prof Rajiva Wijesinha Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights In the  general debate under Item 4 of the Agenda of the Human Rights Council: Human Rights Situations that require the Council’s attention  

Sri Lanka appreciates the concerns about Sri Lanka expressed by countries participating in this debate and records its appreciation, with regard to our efforts to recover from the damage caused by terrorism, of the support and assistance of our neighbours and friends who stood by us in our struggle whilst affirming their concern for an inclusive solution to our problems.

President assures parents and children at Vakarai Maha Vidyalayam grand opening:  

* Never forget this is your motherland

* Today's children would become kings tomorrow

President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his second visit to Vakarai since its liberation yesterday assured the people who had undergone many challenges and hardships due to terrorism, that they had a bright future ahead.

“We in Sri Lanka, with the dawn of peace and the improving investor-friendly policies, are experiencing a surge in the economic activities in the country”- Hon. H.R. Mithrapala, Minister of Consumer Services 

For the first time, at the annual meetings of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) member States will begin with a two-day High-Level Ministerial Segment, deliberating on the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) in policy-making and development spheres. The High-Level Segment, which began today and continues on September 23, brought together over forty Ministers and hundreds of high level delegates.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama proposed that Sri Lanka and Fiji seek wider areas for bilateral exchanges in human resources in the fields of legal and medical services and technical cooperation, in keeping with Sri Lanka’s policy of a more Asia centric focus on international cooperation, when the Foreign Minister of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kabuabola called on him today (21/09) in New York.  The Fijian Foreign Minister was thankful for the six Sri Lankan judges who had been recruited to serve in Fiji when their Chief Justice had visited Sri Lanka.  They exchanged views with regard to the procedure of processing the Continental Shelf applications which both Sri Lanka and Fiji have filed and underlined the need to seek a fast tracking of this process.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Eid-ul-Fitr festival message called for lasting partnership of the Muslims of Sri Lanka to forge a new Sri Lankan nation of unity, tolerance and harmony. 

Full text of Message:

“The Muslim community of Sri Lanka joins its brothers in faith the world over on this occasion to mark the completion of the period of fasting and religious practice which is the most significant tradition of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will be leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 64^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, commencing 22 September 2009. He will address the General Assembly on 26 September regarding the “Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development” and meet the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. During his visit he will also address the Asia Society in New York on the theme “Sri Lanka’s Challenges ahead: Post LTTE Scenario and Ensuring Sustainable Peace”.

"UN must understand our problems, I understand the SG's"  

"De-mining won't take 16 years as in Croatia"  

"Journalist's offences include being agent of LTTE"  

"Sri Lanka is an equal member of the UN"  

"If big countries bully us we will bring it to the UN" 

                                                                          - President Rajapaksa 

Sri Lanka has a better story than is getting out to the world on matters of concern to the United Nations such as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Human rights and Post Conflict Development was the view of B. Lynn Pascoe, United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, following his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier today(Sep 18).

Intervention of Prof Rajiva Wijesinha,Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights in discussion of the Report of the Joint Inspection Unit  

Sri Lanka welcomes the Report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the requested follow up to the management review of the Office of the High Commissioner. The Report makes it clear that follow up has in fact been minimal. Recalling that the Review took place in 2003, one is reminded of Yeats’ Wild Swans at Coole, sailing complacently in their shining white plumage across yet another lake. This Council needs therefore to work swiftly and purposefully if another generation is not to see the same swans twenty years later.

The Government of Sri Lanka welcomes the media statement issued today (17) by Prof. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in which he now acknowledges that the report which was shared with him by the Government leads him to the conclusion that “the views expressed do indeed raise several issues which warrant further investigation before it could reasonably be concluded that the video is authentic”.

Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights addressed the Twelfth Session of the UN Human Rights Council, which began its 3-week long session today.  Hon. Minister was among the three high-level dignitaries who addressed the Council and his statement was followed by the statements made by H.E Ms. Esther Brimmer, US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, and Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand.

The full statement of the Hon. Minister is as follows:

Statement by Attorney-General Mohan Peiris, P.C., of Sri Lanka at the 12^th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council during the General Debate on the update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights - 15 September 2009, Geneva

Mr. President and the distinguished members of the Human Rights Council, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, may I congratulate Madam High Commissioner on your 1^st anniversary of office, and thank the Council and the High Commissioner for the valuable guidance and support in the last year which has been a difficult one for Sri Lanka in which a fine and difficult balance had to be achieved between the maintenance of civil and political rights in the context of the maintenance of national security. Mr. President, I must and have to respond to some of the observations made by Madam High commissioner.

Statement of Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights responding to Non-Governmental Organizations in the debate on the Statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights  

Sri Lanka regrets the intemperate attacks by some Non-Governmental Organizations on a country trying hard to recover from decades of terrorist activity, which had to be resisted within our legal framework. This is a difficult task, as all those engaged in fighting terror know, and we are proud that our record of success is better than that of most.

Statement of Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights responding to the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict

Sri Lanka welcomes the statement of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and registers again its gratitude that Ms Coomaraswamy made crystal clear, when other branches of the UN seemed to condone this, her condemnation of the LTTE for breaching national and international law in its recruitment of child soldiers.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an interview with Italy’s Le Figaro daily newspaper focusing on wide range of contemporary issues of the country emphasized that the Western bloc should stop criticizing the country over alleged human rights violations and should assist in its endeavor to rebuild the nation that is now entirely liberated from the grip of terrorism.

The resettlement of the internally displaced spearheaded by Special Presidential Adviser and MP, Basil Rajapaksa,Chairman of the Northern Task Force yesterday (11 September)  released 9900 internally displaced persons housed at the Menik Farm in Vavuniya to their hometowns, these IDPs were provided transport through state buses to reach their homes by the authorities.

Hon. Speaker,

As we all are aware having remained victims of terrorism for over 27 years, the people of Sri Lanka have just crossed over to a new epoch of peace and development. 

If encountering the brutal terror of a ruthless enemy in the military front required a great deal of commitment and dedication on the part of all those who were involved in it, from the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to the soldiers, facing the obstacles in the political front which surfaced in innumerable guises both locally and internationally required, by no small measure, sheer far-sightedness and resolve on the part of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government. I need not emphasize how various forces tried, in vain, to stop the government in its march to victory. The story is long and now history, which is no secret to any of us, anymore.