United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime official calls on Foreign Minister Gunawardena

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Operations Director Miwa Kato paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 28 November at the Ministry.

The Minister appreciated the increasing engagement between Sri Lanka and UNODC, especially in maritime crime prevention. He emphasised that, at a time when Sri Lanka is emerging after a long separatist terrorist conflict that ravaged the country for nearly three decades, violent extremism and other forms of illegal crime hamper Sri Lanka’s economic trajectory. It is in this context that Sri Lanka is looking forward to engaging with UNODC to find appropriate systems and procedures to address issues in the long term. 

The main focus of the discussion was drug trafficking in Sri Lankan waters and beyond and how the co-operation between Sri Lanka and UNODC has been able to intercept many attempts of drug trafficking. UNODC praised Sri Lanka’s efforts and achievements in combating illegal drug trafficking. Further, both sides affirmed their commitment to finding a practical way to address nefarious operations inside prisons that contribute to expanded drug trafficking, including capacity building for prison staff to bring inappropriate situations under control. 

UNODC also commended the excellent co-operation received from Sri Lankan authorities, especially from the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Sri Lanka Navy, and briefed on the support extended by the UNODC to the Sri Lanka Navy to provide Visit, Board, Search and Seizure(VBSS) training to countries in the region.

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha stressed that Sri Lanka is in need of comprehensive long-term support to build local capacity in combating drug trafficking and other maritime crime, together with the transfer of appropriate technology backed by state-of-the-art equipment, which would bring tangible benefits to the country. The Secretary further noted that UNODC’s support has augmented Sri Lanka’s existing strength in the maritime safety and security domain, especially in the Indian Ocean, through the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security led by Sri Lanka. 

The Minister also drew attention to the Government’s foreign policy, focusing on neutrality and working with all nations, and that Sri Lanka is poised to continue a robust ocean policy as reiterated by the President. 

The Ministry’s Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Director General Hasanthi Dissanayake appreciated the assistance UNODC extended for the Track 1.5 Conference on ‘The Indian Ocean: Defining Our Future’ held in October 2018 and the First Meeting of the IORA Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security in August 2019, and welcomed the pledged support for the Track 1 Conference to be held in the near future. 

The Head of UNODC Maritime Crime Program Allen Cole and two other staff from UNODC Sri Lanka office accompanied Director Kato, while the Foreign Secretary and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Relations were present at the discussion.