Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Samantha K. Jayasuriya said Sri Lanka has taken keen interest in promoting mutual dialogue and collaboration among member states to ensure maritime safety, particularly safe and peaceful navigation in the Indian Ocean, sustainable fishing, reducing ocean pollution among others. The country has enacted the Sustainable Development Act in 2017 and is incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in to its national policies she said. She assured that Sri Lanka will look for more intense collaboration with the Commission in areas of mutual interest.
Samantha K. Jayasuriya presented her credentials to Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP in Bangkok, as the new Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka.
Executive Secretary Alisjahbana outlined the mandate of the ESCAP and the upcoming regular and main sessions and invited continued active participation of Sri Lanka.
The Executive Secretary welcomed the interest of Sri Lanka to play a constructive role and to contribute to the deliberations.
While conveying the appreciation of the Government of Sri Lanka for the technical assistance and capacity building support that the ESCAP has been extending to Sri Lanka, the Permanent Representative recalled that there were a number of Sri Lankans who have been providing their expertise and services to ESCAP either as consultants or employees. Second Secretary Saritha Ranatunga was with the Permanent Representative, while Mitch Hsieh, Secretary and Lorenzo Santucci, Deputy Secretary of the Commission, joined the Executive Secretary at the meeting.
(Daily News)