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Monday, 31 October 2011 12:42
Australian Government refuses to act on the court case filed against President Rajapaksa The Government of Australia has quashed a court case filed against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the Melbourne Magistrates Court by Arunachalam Jegatheeswaran, a known Sri Lankan LTTE operative based in Australia. In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe on 27th October 2011, the Attorney General’s Department of Australia, has informed the High Commissioner that, Australia has and will continue to comply with international obligations in this matter and as a result the Attorney General has considered and declined to proceed with the court case as the continuation of the proceedings against President Rajapaksa would be in breach of domestic law and Australia’s obligations under International Law. It has been further noted that Commonwealth Laws extended immunities to heads of state and heads of diplomatic missions representing the respective countries abroad. Those immunities include personal inviolability, including from any form of arrest or detention and immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving state. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is currently visiting Perth, Western Australia to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM ) scheduled for 28 – 30th October 2011.
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Friday, 28 October 2011 22:37

15th ANNUAL GLOBAL GODDESS ARTEMIS AWARDS CEREMONY, WASHINGTON DC
OCTOBER 27th, 2011, THE RAYBURN HOUSE, CONGRESS BUILDING
‘’The secret of happiness is freedom”.
“The secret of freedom is courage" Thucydides.

Ambassador, Dr Palitha Kohona, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations was among those honored at the annual Artemis Awards Ceremony held at the Rayburn House, Congress Building, Washington DC.

Monday, 17 October 2011 14:21

JOINT COMMUNIQUE BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA AND THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Truong Tan Sang, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and his spouse paid a State Visit to Sri Lanka from 13th to 15th October 2011.

News

Thursday, 13 October 2011 12:25

News release and full text of the statement made by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinghe at the screening of "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" at the European Parliament on 12th October 2011.

Ambassador Aryasinha says “human rights groups in indecent hurry to vilify Sri Lanka ahead of the release of the LLRC report”

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has said the timing of the screening of the film ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ at the European Parliament today ( 12 October 2011) was particularly sinister, coming on the eve of the presentation of the LLRC Report due next month. The Ambassador said, “it would appear that Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group who sponsored the screening, are intent on pre-judging and discrediting the LLRC report even before it is released”. He added that “this indecent hurry to host such events and to call for international inquiries, is probably due to their fear that once the LLRC report comes out, they will be short of one further excuse, with which to continue their obsessive attack on the Government of Sri Lanka”.

Sixth Committee Statement

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 16:46

Statement by Ambassador H.E. Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Sixth Committee
66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Agenda Item 84 :
The Scope and Application of the Principle of
Universal Jurisdiction

12th October, 2011

My delegation aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement by Iran. We thank the Secretary-General for the reports A/66/93 and its Add.1 and A/C/6/66/WG.3/INF.1 and INF 2.

Second Committee General Debate

Wednesday, 05 October 2011 17:20

Statement by Ambassador H.E. Dr. Palitha Kohona,
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Second Committee General Debate
5th October, 2011

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to congratulate you and the other member of the Bureau on your election. I take this opportunity to express my full confidence in your leadership.

My delegation associates itself with the statement made by the distinguished representative of Argentina on behalf of the G-77 & China.

With only four years left to achieve the MDG’s, the ability of many developing countries to realize them is being severely tested in these challenging times. While some countries are making progress with the MDGs, many others are facing the daunting task of achieving minimum progress, as the negative impacts of the global financial crisis continue to impact on economies. Developing countries, including Sri Lanka, are vulnerable in this volatile economic environment, particularly with the other challenges posed by soaring food and commodity prices, instability in financial markets, unpredictable fuel prices and the negative impacts of climate change.

Security Council Debate

Tuesday, 25 October 2011 12:30

Statement by Ambassador Palitha Kohona
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka
at the Security Council Debate on the Situation
in the Middle East including the Palestinian Question
24th October 2011

Mr. President,

I join other speakers to commend you for convening this important debate. The Sri Lanka delegation associates itself with the statement made by Egypt on behalf of the NAM.

It is a timely opportunity to focus on the situation in the Middle East, particularly, the Palestinian question; a question that has occupied the attention of this Council for a long time. The developments since our last opportunity to discuss the issue are particularly important.

Friday, 14 October 2011 18:00

Statement by Ambassador H.E. Palitha T.B. Kohona
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Third Committee
66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Agenda Item 65 (a):
Promotion and protection of the rights of children
14th October, 2011

Mr. Chairman,

We thank the Secretary-General for his reports on this agenda item. My delegation also commends the reports and observations made by the Head of UNICEF and the special mandate holders under this theme.

Statement Advance of Women

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 16:51

Statement by Ambassador H.E. Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

Third Committee
66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Agenda Item 28 :
Advancement of Women
12th October, 2011

Madam Chair,

My delegation thanks the Secretary-General for his reports and recommendations on this agenda item. My delegation also commends the reports of UN-Women, the CEDAW Committee and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences. The delegation of Sri Lanka associates itself with the statement made by Argentina on behalf of the G77 and China.

News

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 09:05

The World from a Sri Lankan Perspective -
Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona

Please click here to read

Statement

Wednesday, 05 October 2011 17:08

Sri Lanka chairs UNESCAP Commission

The Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, H.E. Dr. Palitha Kohona, chaired a diplomatic briefing by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in New York today. Senior diplomats of the 53 member States representing the ESCAP Member States were present at this vital briefing to share views on “Shared Prosperity, equity and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”.
Underlining the increasing share of global trade, foreign investment and population of Asia and the Pacific, Dr. Kohona highlighted the role of UNESCAP in further catalyzing economic growth, coordination and assistance in the region. He emphasized that an interactive dialogue amongst Member States would enable UNESCAP members to develop a more coordinated voice so that the region could play a more central role in global issues.
UNESCAPS’s Executive Secretary Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, provided a comprehensive overview of the commission’s current work. UNESCAP, which is collocated with 27 of the 30 UN agencies within the region inter alia, promotes “Green Growth” in countries of the region, provides technical assistance to promote sustainable development, and encourages measures to mitigate the effects of climate change. She also unveiled a recent initiative by UNESCAP to establish a multi-hazard trust fund for the region, a practical project of importance for post-tsunami Asia.

Complete Statement by Dr. Kohona

Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Excellencies,

I am very happy to welcome the representatives of UNESCAP Members States to this special briefing by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNESCAP. We are here to be briefed on the theme of “Shared prosperity, Equity and Sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific” and UNESCAP’s role in promoting this agenda. With global imbalances persisting and disparities increasing within countries and regions, against the background of Asia’s increasing economic role in the world, this is an important theme, notably on the road to Rio+20.

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