News
Parliament to clear Colombage, Cooray for top postings
Amidst closure of six overseas missions new appointments taking place
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The government has nominated Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Norway lawyer Godfrey Cooray, as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany.
Cooray will succeed Manori Unambuwa, another non-career head of Sri Lankan mission. Corporate professional Unambuwa assumed duties in early July 2020.
Cooray recently returned to Colombo following the closure of Sri Lanka’s mission in Norway, in line with the cash-strapped government decision to close down some of its overseas missions.
Sources told The Island that Cooray offered to move to a smaller and cheaper place to reduce expenditure in a bid to convince the government to reverse its decision.
Manori Unambuwa received the top diplomatic appointment after having played a significant role in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 2019 presidential election campaign.
At the time of the last presidential election, the one-time Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany, also accredited to Switzerland.
The government has also nominated former Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Japan. Colombage will succeed Sanjiv Gunasekera, who suddenly gave up the top posting. Gunasekera announced his retirement on May 09 and concluded his term yesterday (15).
Sources said that new posting was taking place at a time Sri Lanka’s relations with Japan suffered a setback owing to the cancellation of several projects, including the light rail project proposed for Colombo. Admiral Colombage is the second ex-Navy Commander to receive posting as Colombo’s top envoy in Tokyo. Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda earlier served in Tokyo.
The Parliamentary High Post Committee recently called for public representations as regards the nomination of Cooray and Colombage. Sources said that the parliamentary process was routine and there hadn’t been instances where nominations got rejected at the all-party outfit chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
In late March this year the Foreign Ministry announced the decision to close down missions in Norway and Iraq and the Consulate General in Sydney. Sources said that the closure of missions was part of general restructuring of the country’s representation overseas. But, the Foreign Ministry had no option but to close down some missions to reduce expenditure in the face of the country experiencing a severe shortage of foreign exchange.
Sources said that Sri Lanka had never closed down missions due to financial constraints before.
On Dec 31, 2021, the Foreign Ministry closed down the Sri Lanka High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, the Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany and the Consulate General in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Sources said that since the financial situation had deteriorated further, the likelihood of the Foreign Ministry having to close down more missions couldn’t be ruled out.
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
