Sri Lanka elected to the FAO Council in Italy

Sri Lanka has been elected by acclamation as a member of the FAO Council at the election of the members of the Council, during the 36th Session of the FAO Conference, held at the FAO headquarters in Rome from 18th to 23rd November 2009.

Sri Lanka returns to the FAO Council six years after it was elected to the 2001-2003 term. China, Japan, The Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, all belonging to the Asia Group of the FAO, were also elected for the term November 2009-June 2012.

The FAO Council is the main executive organ of the Organization. It has 49 members out of the 192 member nations, and has powers delegated to it by the FAO Conference. In particular, it exercises functions dealing with the world food and agricultural situation and related matters, current and prospective activities of the Organization, including the Programme of Work and Budget, administrative matters, financial management of the Organization, and constitutional questions.

Sri Lanka’s nomination was submitted by India and Pakistan. Sri Lanka was able to secure a seat in the Council after six years, as a result of the active participation in the FAO activities by the Permanent Representation of Sri Lanka to the FAO, led by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy, and due to the effective campaign carried out among the 192 member nations of the FAO.

The fact that India agreed to propose Sri Lanka, and Pakistan agreed to second it, as well as Bangladesh deciding not to contest Sri Lanka, is a clear manifestation of the pragmatic foreign policy of Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, and of Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Since joining the FAO in 1952, Sri Lanka has always given priority to the ideals, objectives and activities of the Organization, and has been playing an active role in its work.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka, which assumed the Chair of the SAARC in 2008, was instrumental in issuing the ‘Colombo Statement on Food Security’ during the 15th SAARC Summit held in Sri Lanka in July 2008, under the Chairmanship of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which clearly demonstrates the commitments of the region to food and agriculture related issues The Government of President Rajapaksa has given priority to the development of the food production sector, to achieve self sufficiency and eradication of poverty.

The FAO, which was established in 1945, leads international efforts to defeat hunger. It has focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. The FAO has helped developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Sri Lanka, which became a member of the FAO in 1948, has received assistance from FAO financially as well as technically in order to develop the Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Environment sectors of the country. FAO, which works closely with the Government of Sri Lanka, currently supports development oriented programmes as well as emergency response projects. It has provided technical and financial assistance worth of US $ 25,551,420 to Sri Lanka during the last two years.

The FAO has also undertaken a needs assessment and rehabilitation programme formulation mission to Sri Lanka to develop the food production sector in the North, as per the request made by H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, to Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the FAO.

Sri Lanka’s delegation to the 36th FAO Conference was headed by Mr. Sirisena Amarasekara, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services, who was accompanied by Mr. Ravindra Hewavitharana, Commissioner General of Agrarian Services, and Mr. Saman Udagedara, Minister (Commercial) of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome and Alternate Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the FAO.

- Asian Tribune -