SL outlines peacebuilding initiatives at UN

• Lanka’s UN Ambassador addresses High Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace 

Speaking at the High Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, held at the United Nations headquarters from 24-26 April, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Rohan Perera, highlighted the initiatives undertaken by the Sri Lankan Government on reconciliation and peacebuilding in the country.   

In the course of his statement, Ambassador Perera emphasised the importance of the prevention of conflicts, as reflected in the Secretary General’s Report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, as a factor that would save countless lives and resources that could otherwise be utilised for a country’s development.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring predictable and sustained funding for peacebuilding initiatives through the Peacebuilding Fund, which were crucial for reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts of countries such as Sri Lanka. Dr. Perera highlighted the collaboration between Sri Lanka and the Peacebuilding Support Office as an example of a fruitful partnership on peacebuilding between a Member State and the United Nations.

In his intervention at the Third Interactive Session of the High Level Meeting regarding Strategic Partnerships with the United Nations for Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, Ambassador Perera focused on the importance Sri Lanka places upon inclusivity in the peacebuilding process, particularly by engaging all relevant stakeholders such as women, youth and civil society. Sri Lanka’s efforts of engaging the Diaspora in peacebuilding initiatives was also highlighted.

The Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka also chaired a segment of the first Plenary Session of the High Level meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace on 24 April, in the capacity of Vice President of the General Assembly.

On the fringes of the High Level Meeting, Sri Lanka co-sponsored a side event on the ‘Role of Education in Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace’ on 26 April at the United Nations headquarters in New York, together with the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and Bangladesh and the University of Peace and the Nippon Foundation.  

During the event, Ambassador Perera served as a panellist and drew attention to the efforts of the Sri Lankan Government to include education within the peacebuilding and reconciliation architecture of Sri Lanka and highlighted the initiatives adopted by civil society, most particularly youth, to complement the efforts of the Government on peacebuilding and reconciliation. Several panellists at the event also made positive references to Sri Lanka’s peacebuilding initiatives.