Archives - Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN Geneva Switzerland

: Published: 28 November 2015; Last Updated: 28 November 2015

26nov2015 iom council

President Maithripala Sirisena has invited the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to host a global consultation in Sri Lanka, on the lessons learnt in advancing the health of migrants.

The President extended this invitation in a special message to a panel discussion on 'migration, human mobility and global health', held during the 106th Council Session of the IOM held in Geneva on 26th November 2015, which was read by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva. The panel discussion was moderated by Ambassador William Lacy Swing, the Director General of IOM, while Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization was among the panelists.

: Published: 25 November 2015; Last Updated: 30 November 2015

The Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ambassador William Lacy Swing has commended "the dynamic leadership that Sri Lanka has provided for the Colombo Process (CP) - the Regional Consultative Process on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour for countries of origins in Asia". He noted that "the outcome of the recent 3rd CP Senior Officials Meeting held in Colombo projects the prospects for further progress". Ambassador Swing in particular noted the efforts taken by Sri Lanka as a CP Chair to work closely with the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), a group of the 11 CP States and 7 labour receiving countries, in view to creating a better environment for migrants. Ambassador Swing said he intends to participate at the CP Ministerial Conference which is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in mid- 2016.

Ambassador Swing made these observations in responding to the statement delivered by Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha during the General Debate of the 106th IOM Council, which concluded in Geneva last Friday.

: Published: 25 November 2015; Last Updated: 03 December 2015

24nov2015 womensguild bazaar

Sri Lanka’s renowned tourist attractions and its finest teas were in focus at the National Stall set by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Geneva at the United Nations Women’s Guild Bazaar held on Tuesday, 24 November 2015 at the Palais des Nations. Organized by the United Nations Women’s Guild and Permanent Missions accredited to the United Nations in Geneva, over the years the UNWG Bazaar has become a premier event in the UN calendar, with more than 150 country’s National stalls which attracting close upon 6,000 visitors.

Proceeds from the Permanent Mission’s national stall are donated to the UN Women’s Guild’s charity account which assists in raising funds for disadvantaged children around the world annually.

: Published: 18 November 2015; Last Updated: 03 December 2015

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the Holy See and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha called on the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See (equivalent to Foreign Minister) His Excellency Archbishop Paul Gallagher at the Vatican on 18 November 2015.

Ambassador Aryasinha updated Archbishop Gallagher on the political, social and economic developments that had taken place since the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, particularly aspects pertaining to addressing democracy and human rights related concerns, as well as ensuring a permanent peace and reconciliation.

: Published: 18 November 2015; Last Updated: 08 April 2026

States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons(CCW)completed a week of conferences on Friday, 13 November, where one of the key issues before States parties was Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), which has been the subject of intense discussion over the past two years within the CCW.

The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha of Sri Lanka.

: Published: 18 November 2015; Last Updated: 26 October 2025

Lecture by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, MP

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

Politics and Development in Sri Lanka

Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore

12 November 2015

It is a pleasure for me to join you here today, to speak on ‘Politics and Development in Sri Lanka’, soon after the official visit just last month to Singapore, by Prime Minister Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe.

: Published: 13 November 2015; Last Updated: 08 April 2026

Sri Lanka has said it “wishes to see the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) move beyond, where a dialogue among States would be at the center of any future discussion on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), and that such a process will help in ensuring clarity on the concerns of States, as well as to create a matrix of common elements which could be derived from the debate“.

Addressing a dedicated discussion within the CCW agenda on Lethal Autonomous Weapons, Sri Lanka’s delegate to the Session Mrs. Mafusa Lafir, Second Secretary of the Sri Lanka Mission in Geneva, highlighted that the debate on LAWS within the CCW “is not a question of whether to ban or not to ban the autonomous technology, but a question as to what this technology should be applied to and not applied to”. She said it should be an exercise “to explore how the State Parties can take pre-emptive action on the development and the use of lethal autonomous weapons, while not affecting the much required civilian and non-lethal military use”. She noted that the concerns over the concept of ‘dual use technology’ in the nuclear field also has relevance to the issue of LAWS and that it is important to consider safeguards that can help avoid the abuse and unintended consequences of this technology.

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President Sirisena Proposes holding a Global Consultation in Sri Lanka on the Lessons Learnt in Advancing the Health of Migrants

Sri Lanka's leadership of the Colombo Process commended at IOM Council in Geneva

Sri Lanka’s famed pure Ceylon Tea showcased

Ambassador Aryasinha calls on the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See

CCW MEETING TAKES FORWARD MANDATE ON LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND PAVES THE WAY FOR 2016 FIFTH REVIEW CONFERENCE

Public Lecture by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on 'Politics and Development in Sri Lanka' at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore

Sri Lanka says a dialogue among States should be at the center of any future discussion on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems