SL to set up secretariat for Commonwealth Heads Summit

Cabinet has approved setting up a Task Force Secretariat for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 that will be held in Sri Lanka, a Minister said yesterday.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government 2013 Summit will be held in Sri Lanka in 2013 and this will be the largest international event at the level of Heads of State to be held in Sri Lanka since 1976 when Sri Lanka hosted the fifth Summit of the Non Aligned Movement.

This meeting will be attended by 54 member countries.

On a proposal made by External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Cabinet approval was granted to set up a Task Force Secretariat to proceed with the work pertaining to the summit with an allocation of Rs. 217.44 million as capital and recurrent expenditure.

“Officers are to be seconded from the identified ministries and departments such as External Affairs, Defence and Urban Development, Mass Media and Information, Economic Development for a period of two years to work full time for the preparatory work,” acting Cabinet Spokesman Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana told media.

Representation from countries such as Canada had been uncertain over Sri Lanka’s human rights record but the Government was quick to assure that it would not have any effect on the upcoming summit and insisted that all nations would participate.