News
Sri Lanka thwarts bid to alter vital maritime route – Foreign Minister Sabry
By Saman Indrajith
Sri Lanka had managed to thwart an attempt by various international agencies, driven by geostrategic motives, to alter Sri Lanka’s Vessel Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), as Foreign Minister Ali Sabry informed Parliament on Thursday (07).
The TSS, positioned south of Dondra Head, stands as a crucial trade route and one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors. Minister Sabry emphasized that any changes to this scheme would have undermined the significance of Galle and Hambantota Ports.
“We collaborated with China, Egypt, Algeria, India, and Pakistan to defeat this proposal. We successfully removed it from the agenda of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Only Canada opposed us, driven by political reasons. The support we receive from the Global South reflects our commitment to the right path,” he stated.
Minister Sabry highlighted Sri Lanka’s primary challenge: to refrain from being perceived as aligned with any single power.He further noted the operational constraints within the Foreign Ministry, citing the recent diplomatic tension between India and Canada, revealing that the Indian High Commission in Canada maintains a staff of over 70.
“Yet, across 55 countries and within Sri Lanka, our staff totals 168. While India remains crucial, we have merely six personnel there. Our sanctioned workforce is 264, and we haven’t recruited since 2018. We’ve now initiated a recruitment campaign and need an ongoing mechanism for yearly hires. We strive to make the most of our resources,” he emphasized.
In 2020, the Ministry was inundated with requests to authenticate 125,000 documents from Sri Lankans seeking to depart the country.
“We allocated 100 million rupees for this service. By 2022, we authenticated 527,000 documents, generating 400 million rupees in revenue, all accomplished with the same staff,” Minister Sabry added.
He also highlighted the implementation of a digital mechanism in 2022, eradicating the long-standing queues at the Foreign Ministry. Now, individuals can upload educational documents online for authentication without the need for physical visits. “This achievement owes credit to our officials and my State Minister,” he acknowledged.
Additionally, Minister Sabry addressed concerns about the arrival of Chinese research vessels. “To allay these concerns, we’ve formulated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), approved by the Cabinet and distributed to countries that have sent ships over the past decade. A structured mechanism is now in place,” he assured.
Following the speech, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva attributed the establishment of the Extension of Electronic Document Attestation System (e-DAS) to the previous government in 2018. Therefore, credit for instituting the online document certification system must be given to those who introduced e-DAS, he remarked.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya acknowledged that the e-DAS system was indeed initiated by the previous government. Their contribution lay in integrating several relevant institutions into the system.
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
