Ambassador Palihakkara counts over 37 years of civil and diplomatic service in Sri Lanka. He served as Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka from 2004 till January 2007.

He was Sri Lanka Ambassador and Permanent Representative to United Nations in Geneva and the Leader of Sri Lanka Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Specialized Agencies and the Conference on Disarmament, the UN multilateral negotiating body on international arms control and security matters, (1997-2000).

After Geneva he was appointed Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Permanent Representative to Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Bangkok ,2000-2004.

During the period 2002-2003 he functioned as Actg. Director General/ Deputy Director General of the Sri Lanka Govt. Peace Secretariat (SCOPP), which serviced the Norwegian facilitated ‘Talks’ and the ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Previously, he served a number of multilateral diplomatic assignments at the Sri Lanka Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York representing Sri Lanka at deliberations and negotiations related to international peace and security, human rights, humanitarian affairs and economic and social affairs. He was Director General, Multilateral Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Sri Lanka from 1995-1997 covering, inter alia, work relating to preventive diplomacy, peace building, arms control/disarmament and non-proliferation matters.

As Director General he coordinated work of the inter-Ministerial Committee on the domestic, legislative and institutional work relating to compliance with a number of international treaties.

Other professional work:

• Member, United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Arms Control and Security Matters (currently serving).
• Member, Board of Directors, Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Colombo (2006).
• Member, Governing Council, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, 2001-2003
• Member, Panel of Ambassadors advising the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, Geneva (1999-2000).
• Advisor to President , NPT Review and Extension Conference, New York, 1995
• Member, UN Secretary General appointed Inter Government Expert Group on the UN Comprehensive Study on Nuclear Weapons and International Security (1990-91).
• Leader/member of Sri Lanka delegations to different multilateral Conferences on peace, security, disarmament/arms control/ non-proliferation and human rights.

A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed-1968) graduate from University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, he received a Public Service Commission appointment to the Sri Lanka Public Service (1969); entered Sri Lanka Foreign Service (1979); underwent foreign affairs training in Australia (1980). He was a UN Disarmament Fellow (1980s).

Ambassador Palihakkara is married to Sujitha Lakshmi , a science teacher at a National School in Sri Lanka. They have a son, a Software Engineer, 28 yrs.


3rd August, 2008

 

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