Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Manisha Gunasekera, held a high-level meeting with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany at the organization’s headquarters in Paris on December 19 to discuss assistance for Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.
During the discussion, Ambassador Gunasekera briefed the Director-General on the extensive impact of the cyclone and outlined the government’s rebuilding and recovery plans. She also expressed appreciation for UNESCO’s rapid deployment of emergency aid under the Heritage Emergency Fund, which helped stabilize and conserve archival records damaged by flooding.
In response, Director-General El-Enany conveyed his condolences to Sri Lanka and reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to providing both immediate and long-term support. He highlighted plans for an integrated intersectoral response tailored to Sri Lanka’s priorities, including the recovery of cultural heritage, educational support for schools, psychosocial assistance, and technical cooperation to enhance hydrological risk assessment and early warning systems. Assistance will be coordinated through UNESCO’s Regional Office in New Delhi.
The meeting also included a ceremonial element, with Ambassador Gunasekera delivering a congratulatory message from Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on the Director-General’s election, emphasizing Sri Lanka’s commitment to supporting UNESCO’s mandate.
Director-General El-Enany acknowledged the efforts of Prime Minister and UNESCO National Commission Chairperson Harini Amarasuriya and Minister Herath for Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with UNESCO.
Senior UNESCO officials attending the meeting included Ahmed Zaouche (Chief, Crisis Preparedness and Response), Omar Monieb (Chief, Relations with Member States), and Manh Ha Tran (Chief, Asia and the Pacific, Priority Africa and External Relations Sector). Ambassador Gunasekera was accompanied by Rifa Wadood, Minister/UNESCO at the Sri Lankan Permanent Delegation.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest