News
Environmental Investigation Agency, UK and CEJ, Sri Lanka jointly lobby IMO over its inaction after X-Press Pearl disaster
By Ifham Nizam
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), UK in partnership with the Centre for Environmental Justice – CEJ, Sri Lanka backs the Sri Lankan outline of a myriad of ways the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is failing to look after the environment by putting the interests of the shipping industry first.
The Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) and environmental NGOs yesterday demanded that IMO provide a new classification of hazardous substances after devastating X-Press Pearl plastic pellet spill nine miles off the Sri Lankan coast. On 25th May 2021 the Singapore-flagged cargo ship X-Press Pearl spilled 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets, 9,700 tonnes of other plastics and toxic pollutants. With plastic accumulating on beaches up to a height of two metres, it marked the worst marine environmental disaster in the country’s history, and the single largest plastic pellet pollution event the world has ever seen.
The event follows similar incidents in Hong Kong (2012), South Africa (2017 and 2020) and in the North Sea (2019, 2020).
EIA, on behalf of the NGOs in the Clean Shipping Coalition, will be putting pressure on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at their November meeting, demanding more than the few minutes allotted to acknowledge the gravity of the X-Press Pearl disaster, debate the classification of plastic pellets and outlining the lack of action taken to date on plastics.
Christina Dixon, Deputy Ocean Campaign Leader of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) yesterday said:
“Although plastics from sea-based sources account for roughly 20% of plastic pollution, the pace of action to prevent plastic pollution from ships at the international level is sorely lacking.
“The recent tragedy of the X-Press Pearl in Sri Lanka is a devastating example of the impact of a lack of oversight and preventative measures. With fishing communities and marine habitats now devastated by billions of plastic pellets polluting their environment, it is the local communities left bearing the brunt of the clean-up and harm.”
IMO recognizes plastic waste in our ocean as their responsibility but is failing to live by their words. Despite the need for urgent action to protect marine ecosystems, livelihoods and coastlines the issue is slipping through the net.
“We expect to be given just a couple of minutes at the meeting to cover what has been the worst plastic pellet spill in history. The IMO principally looks after the interests of the shipping industry, but it cannot continue to do so without protecting our marine environment in parallel. It is of paramount importance they move immediately to reclassify plastic pellets as a hazardous substance on the request of Sri Lanka; a country who through zero fault of their own, will be struggling in the wake of this disaster for years to come.”
Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice Hemantha Withanage said: “Immediately after the X-Press Pearl ship accident, more than 20,000 fishermen were disallowed from fishing in the area and have lost access to their livelihood up to now. Many fish and other marine animals including 417 turtles, 46 Dolphins and 8 whales were found dead. Some of them had mistakenly eaten micro plastics as food. Most of these plastic nurdles will remain in the ocean environment for the next 500 years or more. Ship owners and the insurance company P&I club must take full responsibility for the damage caused. Furthermore, it’s time to regulate unsafe transportation of large quantities of plastic nurdles.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
