Sumathipala first Lankan on PGA ExCo

Colombo District UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala recently received the honour of being the first Sri Lankan to be elected as a Board Member to the Executive Committee of the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), an international non-profit, non-partisan organisation with a worldwide network of over 1,000 MP legislators in approximately 130 elected parliaments.

Headed by H.V. Ross Robertson – Member of Parliament from New Zealand, the PGA Executive Committee decides on the programmes to be implemented globally by the organisation, a task in which Sumathipala joins the likes of Senator Jim Walsh from Ireland, Irene Naa Torshie Addo – Member of Parliament from Ghana, Mark Pritchard – Member of Parliament from the United Kingdom, Marie Norden – Member of Parliament from Sweden, Senator Carlos Cantero from Chile and Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch – Deputy Speaker from Suriname, Dr. Mahreen Bhutto – Member of Parliament from Pakistan and Dr.  Yusuf Ziya – Member of Parliament from Turkey.

As per the PGA Mission Statement which aims ‘to promote peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, gender equality and population issues by informing, convening and mobilising parliamentarians to realise these goals’, the Executive Committee initiates programmes under the three banners of International Law and Human Rights, Peace and Democracy, and Gender, Equality and Population.

Commenting on his recent election, Sumathipala said: “It is indeed a privilege to be elected to the Executive Committee of the PGA, and I humbly thank the PGA International Council for the honour. In my capacity as a Board Member, I am determined to ensure the interests of the country and in the region, while supporting and implementing programmes which promote the vision of the global chapter.”   

The Sri Lankan chapter of the Parliamentarians for Global Action is headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Member of Parliament and Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management. Sumathipala has been a member of the local chapter for three years, and has been functioning as its Secretary for the past two years.