Statement by Delegation of Sri Lanka,
at the 2010 Session of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal
Working Group to Study Issues Relating to the  Conservation
and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond
Areas of National Jurisdiction
United Nations, New York. 1 February 2010

Co Chairs,
Distinguished Delegates,

My Delegation wishes to congratulate the Co Chairs of the Working Group, Ms. Lispeth Lijhnstead (Netherlands) and Ambassador Palitha Kohona, (Sri Lanka) on their appointment and to extend our appreciation to them for undertaking to guide our deliberations in formulating viable and generally acceptable recommendations to be provided to the General Assembly at its 65th Session. We would also express appreciation to the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the OLA for the report of the SG in document A/64/66/Add 2 and for its support in preparing for and servicing this meeting.

Statement following the election of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a second term 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa won a historic and resounding victory in the Presidential Election held yesterday (26), the first free and fair election in which the entire country could participate  in nearly three decades, and also the first such election since the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka in May last year.

Statement by Mr. Maxwell Keegel, Acting Permanent
Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
at the Special Session of the UN General Assembly
on the situation in Haiti – 22.1.2010

Madam President
Secretary-General of the United Nations
Distinguished delegates

My delegation wishes to express its appreciation to Brazil for initiating this Resolution on “Humanitarian Assistance for Haiti” which we have unanimously adopted today and we are pleased to have joined the list of co sponsors.  We also thank the Secretary-General and the Permanent Representative of Haiti for updating us today on the relief efforts.

Statement by Ambassador Palitha Kohona
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in the General Assembly
Agenda Item 76: Oceans and the Law of the Sea
4th December, 2009

Mr. President,
We take this opportunity to  thank the two coordinators who guided us in the drafting of the Resolutions and DOALOS for the support that it extended in this task. 

Statement by SAARC Heads of Missions in New York on Climate Change

We the Permanent Representatives of the SAARC countries to the United Nations in New York express our deepest concern about global climate change and its unfolding impact on the lives and livelihood of our people in the South Asia Region, which is home to 1.5 billion people.