Prasad Kariyawasam | |
---|---|
Born | Galle, Sri Lanka | 21 March 1954
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Education | Richmond College Galle |
Occupation | Diplomat |
Prasad Kariyawasam is a Sri Lankan diplomat and the former Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the top diplomat in Sri Lanka. [1] He was the International Affairs Adviser to Hon.Karu Jayasooriya, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.He was the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States. [2] with concurrent accreditation as High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to Trinidad & Tobago and Ambassador (designate) to Mexico. He was also the Permanent Observer of Sri Lanka to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS).He has also served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to India, Afghanistan and Bhutan. [3] [4]
Kariyawasam was born on 21 March 1954 in Galle, southern Sri Lanka. [5] He was educated at Richmond College Galle and he captained the college Cricket team in 1972. [6] Also he skippered the Southern Province Schools cricket team and played for All Ceylon Schools Combined team. During his school cricket career, Prasad Kariyawasam scored five centuries. Kariyawasam was also a Queen's Boy Scout and was the Scout Troop leader at Richmond in 1968. He had represented Sri Lanka at the 9th Australian Scout Jamboree held in Sydney in 1969. He entered the University of Peradeniya and obtained a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Special Degree in Mathematics in 1978. [7]
In University he was elected President of the Science Students' Union in 1977. Also, he was also elected President of the University Sport Council in 1978 and Treasurer of the All University Students' Council in 1977.
At university he played cricket and captained the University cricket team in 1977–78, in Division I, Sara trophy. He was awarded the Most Outstanding University Sportsmen of the Year, in 1978.
While playing for the university, in 1978, Kariyawasam was selected to represent the Sri Lanka Board President's XI against the visiting Derrick Robins XI. In that match, Kariyawasam had figures of 3 for 22, including the prize wicket of David Gower, who went on to captain England. [8]
Kariyawasam is married and has two children.
Kariyawasam joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1981 and has served as a diplomat in Geneva twice (1983–1987, 2001–2004), Riyadh (1989–1992), Washington (1995–1998), New Delhi twice (1998–2001, 2009) [9] and New York (2005–2008). In his previous assignment in New Delhi, he served as the Deputy High Commissioner. In Geneva, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, while holding the positions of the Consul General of Sri Lanka to Switzerland, Personal Representative of the Head of State of Sri Lanka to the G-15 and concurrently accredited Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Holy See. [10] In New York, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and was concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Jamaica and The Bahamas, as well as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Chile and Colombia.
He also held the position of Director General of the Economic Affairs Division and served as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [11]
Ambassador Kariyasawam was the President of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the years 2001-2002. He was the first Chairperson of the Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) and held this post until 2008, during the initial formative stages of the Committee, leading the evolution and consolidation of its working methods and procedures, as well as the advocacy of the Convention. Ambassador Kariyasawam was the Chair of the Meetings of the Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Inter-Committee Meetings for the year 2004. [12]
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. The headquarters of the Council are at the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland.
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) was established in 1980 by the United Nations General Assembly to inform States and the global community on questions of international security, and to assist with disarmament efforts so as to facilitate progress toward greater security and economic and social development for all.
Jayantha Dhanapala is a Sri Lankan diplomat who serves as member of the Board of Sponsors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and was a governing board member of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Dhanapala is also a distinguished member of Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka and he is the Senior Special Advisor on Foreign Relations to President Maithripala Sirisena, and was Sri Lanka's official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations, before withdrawing from the race on 29 September 2006. From 2007 he has been the President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs.
Sha Zukang is a Chinese diplomat who was head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs from 2007 to 2012. He was previously the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Patrick Mendis is an educator, diplomat, author, and executive in government service in the United States. A former American diplomat and military professor during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, he held various positions in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, and State. He was appointed twice as a commissioner of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO at the State Department by the Obama administration. His appointment to the UNESCO Commission ended during the Trump administration when the White House withdrew from the UN agency.
His Excellency Mahinda Buddhadasa Samarasinghe, is a former MP and the current Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States of America, Mexico and High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago. He was formerly a member of Parliament under Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Government, and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna chief organiser for the Panadura Electorate in the Kalutara District.
Sir George Claude Stanley Corea, KBE was a Sri Lankan politician and diplomat. Former President of the United Nations Security Council, he had served as the Ceylonese Minister of Labour, Industry and Commerce, the Ceylonese Ambassador to the United States, the Ceylonese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Ceylonese Representative to the United Nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for conducting and managing Sri Lanka's foreign relations through oversight of its missions abroad via the Sri Lanka Overseas Service, as well as drafting and general implementation of the nation's foreign policy.
Jaliya Wickramasuriya is a Sri Lankan businessmen. A close relative of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he was the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2014, until the US government asked the Sri Lankan government to recall him. He has been accused of several financial crimes during his tenure. In April 2022, he pleaded guilty to diverting $332,000 of Sri Lankan government funds supposedly intended for the purchase of a new Embassy site.
Pradeepa Gamini Suraj Kariyawasam is a Sri Lankan businessman. Former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and the National Savings Bank of Sri Lanka he is the husband of Shirani Bandaranayake, 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. He was arrested and charged with bribery in 2013.
The Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations is Sri Lanka's foremost diplomatic representative to the United Nations, and in charge of the country's mission to the UN. The position of Permanent Representative is equivalent in rank to an Ambassador, and entitles them to use the style His/Her Excellency.
Reactions to the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War on 18 May 2009 have generally been positive and welcoming, while some countries expressed concern over the civilian casualties and the humanitarian impact.
Tamara Manimekhalai Kunanayakam is a Sri Lankan diplomat. She was the former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Sri Lankan Ambassador to Holy See.
Ajai Malhotra is a former Indian career diplomat who served as Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation. He is the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva.
Dr Desra Percaya, is an Indonesian diplomat who, since 2020, serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Kingdom, accredited to Ireland and the International Maritime Organization.
Esala Ruwan Weerakoon is a Sri Lankan diplomat who is the current SAARC Secretary General, in office since March 2020. He served as permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Development and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and ambassador to Norway.
Mohamed Salah Dembri was an Algerian politician. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria from 1993 to 1996.
Relations between Palestine and Sri Lanka started in 1975 when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) opened up an embassy in Colombo. After the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on 15 November 1988, the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives were among few of the first countries in the world to recognize the State of Palestine. Left wing government led by Sirimavo Bandaranaike during the 1970s closed down the Israel embassy in support of the Palestinian cause. However, after the right wing government led by J.R. Jayewardene came to power Sri Lanka re-established ties with Israel. Diplomatic ties with Israel were suspended again under president Ranasinghe Premadasa in support of the Palestinian cause. In 2000 however ties with Israel were re-established. Sri Lanka currently supports the two state solution for the conflict. In 2014 Sri Lanka donated 130 million rupees to Palestine as humanitarian aid. During the UN speech of president Maithripala Sirisena he expressed support for the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people and urged the United Nations and all Member States to approach the Palestinian issue in a more humane manner taking the inhumane conditions they face into consideration. Sri Lanka voted in support of Palestine in almost every resolution brought to the UN.
Rabab Fatima is a Bangladeshi diplomat. She is currently the high representative of the United Nations for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states (UNOHRLLS). Between 2019 and July 2022, she served as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations. Prior to this, she was Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan. On 1 February 2022, she was elected the Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).