UNGA - Interest in post-conflict progress in Sri Lanka
The United Nations General Assembly that opened its 65th Session on
September 14, will this week see Heads of State and Government gather
for a three-day High Level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG Summit), which will be followed by the annual general debate
which features statements by Heads of State and Government, from
September 23 to 30.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to address both the MDG Summit and
the General Assembly sessions. Matters that will feature prominently in
the General Assembly Sessions will be the follow- up on the MDG Summit
initiatives and issues of Climate Change.
President arrives in New York for
UNGA session |
President
Mahinda Rajapaksa and other members of the Sri Lnakan delegation
of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 65th Session
arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York
early yesterday morning.
This is the first UNGA session the President will be attending
following the victory over LTTE terrorism. President Rajapaksa
will be briefing the international community and world leaders
on the strategies that would be adopted by Sri Lanka in
developing the country.
The delegation included First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, several
senior Ministers, MPs and Secretary to the President Lalith
Weeratunga. |
Matters will also include Food Security, Reconstruction and
strengthening of fragile and post-conflict areas, Disarmament, United
Nations Reform, including Security Council Reform and revitalization of
work of the General Assembly, as well as a review of the Peace Building
Commission and the Human Rights Council.
There is considerable interest in the participation of the Sri Lankan
President in the current sessions of the UNGA as this will be his first
address to the Assembly since Sri Lanka successfully defeated terrorism
in May 2009, and has also gained much recognition for the speed with
which the country has successfully brought down the number of Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) from nearly 300,000 in May last year to less
that 25,000 today.
The success of the Sri Lankan economy in the post-conflict period,
with an unprecedented pattern of growth, in the midst of a global
economic and financial crisis, and the new opportunities for investment
in Sri Lanka are also matters that are drawing the attention of UN
organizations and various international and regional think-tanks
participating and observing development trends and strategies worldwide,
at this UNGA Sessions.
President Rajapaksa’s initiative in appointing the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission that focuses on restorative justice, and also
taking administrative, legal and political steps to prevent such crises
in the future, as well as show the way to other nations too, in matters
of combating and defeating terrorism, and working towards reconciliation
are also matters that are of interest to many nations and leaders
participating in the UNGA Sessions this year.
Aspects of cooperation in development, investment, and better
relations with Sri Lanka will feature prominently in the several
bi-lateral meetings that President Rajapaksa will have with other Heads
of State and leaders of delegations to the UNGA.
Other major events listed during this 65th Sessions of the UNGA are a
high-level meeting in support of the International Year of Biodiversity;
a high-level review to assess the progress made in addressing the
vulnerabilities of small island developing States through implementation
of the Mauritius Strategy, which deals with the unique development
problems of these vulnerable group of countries, in such areas as
environmental management, transport, trade and sustainable development. |