YouSaid · the spoken record

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

lines on the record: 27
first: 2020-09-24
most recent: 2021-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In keeping with the theme of our general debate today, if we are to truly build resilience through hope, we must all strive towards the common good. It is the role of the United Nations to facilitate that by treating all sovereign States, irrespective of size or strength, equitably and with due respect for their institutions and heritage. I request the United Nations and the international community to ensure the protection of the Buddhist heritage of Afghanistan. I call on the Member States of the General Assembly to work together in a spirit of true cooperation, generosity, goodwill and mutual respect to foster a better and more sustainable future for all humankind.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Fostering greater accountability, restorative justice and meaningful reconciliation through domestic institutions is essential to achieving lasting peace. So too is ensuring more equitable participation in the fruits of economic development. It is my Government’s firm intention to build a prosperous, stable and secure future for all Sri Lankans, regardless of ethnicity, religion or gender. We are ready to engage with all domestic stakeholders and to obtain the support of our international partners and the United Nations in this process. However, history has shown that lasting results can only be achieved through home-grown institutions reflecting the aspirations of the people. Sri Lanka’s Parliament and judiciary and its range of independent statutory bodies should have unrestricted scope to exercise their functions and responsibilities.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“My election in 2019 and the parliamentary elections in 2020 saw Sri Lankan voters grant my Government an emphatic mandate to build a prosperous and stable country and uphold national security and sovereignty. In 2019, Sri Lanka experienced the devastation wrought by extremist religious terrorists in the Easter Sunday attacks. Before that, we suffered from a separatist terrorist war for 30 years, until 2009. Terrorism is a global challenge that requires international cooperation if it is to be overcome, especially on matters such as intelligence-sharing. Violence has robbed Sri Lanka of thousands of lives and decades of prosperity in the past half century. My Government is committed to ensuring that such violence never takes place in Sri Lanka again, and we are therefore acting to address the core issues behind it.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Our energy policy is aimed at increasing the contribution of renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower to 70 per cent of our national energy needs by 2030. My country welcomes the support of the international community as we engage in the task of reviving our economy and implementing our national development programme. We intend to make full use of our geostrategic location, robust institutions, strong social infrastructure and skilled workforce to attract investment and broaden trade relationships. My Government is focusing on extensive legal, regulatory, administrative and educational reforms to facilitate that and to deliver prosperity to all our people. Sri Lanka has enjoyed a universal adult franchise since pre-independence. The democratic tradition is an integral part of our way of life.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We are incentivizing the production and adoption of organic fertilizers, as well as investments in organic agriculture. I appreciate the encouragement that we have received from many global institutions and nations for our efforts to create a more sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka. The conservation of our environment is one of our key national priorities. We aim to increase forest cover significantly in the coming decades. We are also working to clean and restore more than 100 rivers countrywide and to combat river and maritime pollution. We have banned single-use plastics to support ecological conservation. Sri Lanka recognizes the urgent need to reduce the use of fossil fuels and support decarbonization.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Through its adoption of the Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, which seeks to halve nitrogen waste by 2030, Sri Lanka has also contributed to global efforts to reduce environmental pollution. Having participated virtually in the Pre-Summit held in April, I trust that the United Nations Food Systems Summit later this month will result in actionable outcomes to promote healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems globally. Such outcomes will be crucial to human health as well as the health of our planet. Sustainability is a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s national policy framework. Because of sustainability’s importance for soil fertility, biodiversity, waterways and health, my Government completely banned the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides earlier this year.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As emphasized in the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the unprecedented effects of human activity on the health of the planet is deeply worrying. Addressing the grave threats posed by climate change and the loss of biodiversity requires decisive and urgent multilateral action. As a climate-vulnerable country, Sri Lanka is deeply aware of the dangers of climate change. Sri Lanka’s philosophical heritage, deeply rooted in Lord Buddha’s teachings, also emphasizes the vitality of preserving environmental integrity. It is in those contexts that Sri Lanka is a Commonwealth Blue Charter Champion and leads the Mangrove Restoration Action Group.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Tourism, one of Sri Lanka’s highest foreign-exchange earners, which supports nearly 14 per cent of the population, has been devastated. This industry, together with small and medium businesses in many other sectors, has received Government support through interest moratoriums and other financial-sector interventions. Daily-wage earners and low-income groups were also supported through grants of cash and dry rations during lockdowns, adding significantly to State expenditure. In addition to their immediate impact, these economic repercussions of the pandemic have limited the fiscal space available to implement our development programmes. As devastating as the consequences of the pandemic have been to humankind, the world is facing the even greater challenge of climate change in the decades to come.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“However, there is still more to be done. The economic impact of the pandemic has been especially severe for developing countries. That has placed the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals at considerable risk. It will be vital to ensure that more initiatives that include development financing and debt relief are undertaken through international mechanisms so as to support developing nations and help them emerge from this uncertain situation. Sri Lanka too has suffered greatly due to the pandemic. In addition to the tragic loss of life, our economy has been deeply affected. The lockdowns, together with general movement restrictions, reduced international travel and slower global growth, have affected nearly every sector of our economy.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Everyone over the age of 20 will be fully vaccinated by the end of October, and we will start vaccinating children over 15 years of age in the near future. The rapid progress of vaccinations was enabled by coordinated efforts between health-care workers, armed-forces and police personnel, Government servants and elected officials. In collaboration with the WHO, Sri Lanka is establishing a regional knowledge hub to facilitate the exchange of lessons learned from COVID-19 and to support countries in recovering better. Sri Lanka also benefited greatly from financial and material support provided by bilateral and multilateral donors in order to manage the pandemic. I thank those nations and institutions for their generosity. The increased global cooperation that we have seen during this ongoing crisis is very encouraging.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I thank front-line health-care and essential workers around the world for their dedication and commend the World Health Organization (WHO) for its crisis response. I also greatly appreciate the rapid advances made by the scientific and medical communities in devising vaccines and treatment protocols to combat the virus. At the same time, we must recognize that it is urgent that we overcome the challenges surrounding the production, distribution, deployment and acceptance of vaccines if we are to prevent the spread of dangerous new virus strains. Ensuring that everyone, everywhere, is vaccinated is the best way out of the pandemic. Although still a developing nation, Sri Lanka has been very successful with its vaccination programme. We have already fully vaccinated nearly all those above the age of 30.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I am honoured to represent Sri Lanka at this gathering today. I would first like to congratulate Mr. Abdulla Shahid on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session. He has long been a friend of Sri Lanka, and we look forward to working closely with him in the year ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to convey our appreciation for Mr. Volkan Bozkir’s stewardship of the General Assembly during the previous session and to commend Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his leadership in these difficult times. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a devastating impact on humankind. I sympathize deeply with all who have lost their loved ones during the pandemic.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In conclusion, I wish to re-iterate the importance of the UN charter which enshrines the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity of States and non-interference in their domestic affairs. Thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Sri Lanka is committed to follow a neutral foreign policy with no affiliations to any particular country or power bloc. As a strategically placed country in the Indian Ocean, it is our priority to ensure that the Indian Ocean is maintained as a zone of peace where no country could gain advantage over any other. Moreover, the Indian Ocean has many international sea lanes that are economically important to a large number of nations and therefore, should remain accessible to global trade and commerce. Geopolitically, too, the Indian Ocean receives the focus of the entire world. Given this situation, powerful countries and nations should provide their support and assistance to maintain the neutrality of the Indian Ocean and to protect its valuable marine resources.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“At a time when the United Nations reaches its 75th year, it is a great opportunity to self-assess the approach and success towards maintaining international peace, security and development. The UN system needs to ensure equity, inclusivity and transparency, while being more responsive to the ever-changing global environment. In order to ensure the sustainability and the credibility of the Organization, political witch hunts through questionable motives against Member States, need to be halted. Democratically elected governments of nations understand the pulse and needs of their people the best. It is the responsibility of the UN to assist and support processes of such elected Governments to bring about sustainable solutions for needs of their people.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is the hope of my people that the world community will not seek to forget or rewrite the violent past of this terrorist organization and allow the propagation of the group’s propaganda, which aimed at indoctrination and radicalization of another generation of youth. As a nation that has witnessed the bitterness of war, Sri Lanka is committed to promoting peace across the world. We remain fully committed to UN Peacekeeping. We are proud to have a long association with United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, with over 20,000 Sri Lankan Peacekeepers having served in UN Peace Missions across the world. They are providing critical services to conflict affected communities in most difficult and dangerous terrains. As a Nation, we are keen to contribute to the common goal of global peace and security.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In spite of its elimination from the Sri Lankan soil, the international network of this terrorist outfit remains, pushing its ruthless ideology and influencing certain Capitals to spread its baseless lies and propaganda. We are hopeful that no State will tolerate activities of this international network which continues to espouse and propagate violent ideology under different guises and manifestations. The global community must stand in solidarity with Sri Lanka, notwithstanding narrow domestic political compulsions, to counter terrorism. This ideology that introduced suicide bombings to the world has set precedents for acts of violent extremism across the world. This is evident by the growing recruitment drive of the extremist outfits.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“There is a need to enhance efforts to strengthen the prevention of drug abuse among children and youth, and ensure that educational settings are free of any harmful and addictive drugs. Sri Lanka is extremely concerned about the increasing sophistication of the transnational criminal groups engaged in illicit manufacture and trafficking of drugs. In order to address this, a Presidential Task Force was appointed to eradicate the drug menace, and to create a safer and a more secure country. Since its establishment, it has produced commendable results. Sri Lanka, having experienced separatism and terrorism for near three decades, condemns all terrorist acts in the strongest possible terms, be it domestic or international.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In Sri Lanka, the National Education System is being restructured according to the theme, “Equal learning opportunity for every child” envisaged in the national policy framework. Many rural schools are being upgraded and others modernized to equip children with knowledge and skills that would help them to contribute to the development of the country. A cost-free official “e-learning portal” for school children, with the support of all telecommunication operators, has successfully contributed towards home learning during the pandemic. State Ministries have been established recently, covering all areas of education for women, children and youth of the country, placing emphasis on vocational and technical education and training. Sri Lanka remains deeply committed to addressing drug-related socio economic issues.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Based on the vision of my policy statement “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”, a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication was established to create a production economy. The Task Force is focusing on creating a unique economic structure based on novel initiatives. This complements my country’s long and consistent history of protecting our society from extreme poverty. Our government is taking a bold and creative initiative to reduce poverty in the country by targeting poor families and providing a member of each such family wage employment that will help the family to come out of poverty and look to the future with hope. We are convinced that education is an important tool for emerging out of poverty.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“My government is taking all measures to strike the right balance between preserving the environment and taking development forward. The recent debacle involving an oil tanker in our seas was carefully managed ensuring that our marine resources are in no way compromised. As a small country with limited resources to handle disasters of this magnitude, we, with the help of the neighbouring countries, minimized the damage caused by the oil tanker to the marine habitat. Sri Lanka welcomes the initiative of the President of the 74th General Assembly for launching the Alliance for Poverty Eradication, which will mobilize action on this issue.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Sri Lanka was among the first countries in South Asia to open schools to bring children back in safety, as commended by UNICEF. The World Travel and Tourism Council has recently stamped Sri Lanka as a safe destination for tourists. Sri Lanka notes with deep concern that developing countries are facing an unprecedented economic and debt crisis due to the pandemic, and the need for debt relief and financial stimulus for such countries must be duly recognized. Sri Lanka is committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Moreover, we, as a country, are extremely serious about protecting our environment. With a bio-diversity that is unique to us, we are ensuring that our environmental assets are not only duly preserved but also prudently used.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“These measures include, financially supporting low income families, pensioners, differently-abled, day-income earners, farmers, and disadvantaged groups and managing the repatriation of Sri Lankans in a coordinated manner. Sri Lanka also explored avenues of business to create new economic trends. This included the use of digital technology to connect the farmer, supplier and consumer; to deliver essential items and services; and to provide on line education. These measures ensured the ‘right to life’ of all Sri Lankans and all foreign nationals who were trapped during restrictions on air travel, regardless of their ethnic, religious or social background. The WHO has commended Sri Lanka’s efforts to control COVID-19 more effectively even with modest means, than more resourced countries.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“At a time when even the most powerful countries in the world were facing substantial challenges in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka was able to successfully face the challenge. Thanks to a well-coordinated and synchronized mechanism of preventive measures at the national level, assisted by a robust local healthcare system, we managed to contain its spread. I must thank the people of my country for the cooperation they extended in this monumental task. Sri Lanka’s sustenance during this calamity was due to the series of inclusive, non-discriminatory and holistic measures taken by the Government, prioritizing the health and safety of her people.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Sri Lanka supports the extensive work being carried out by the WHO, which has played a critical role in shaping the global response to the pandemic. The WHO now must seek to facilitate universal access to a COVID-19 vaccine, once developed, which should be designated as a basic public good and be affordable and obtainable by all. As a country proud of her long-standing democratic traditions, the Government of Sri Lanka has witnessed two free and fair elections, where I as the President and my Government were elected with overwhelming majorities. The resounding mandates received at both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections have enabled the formation of a strong Government, dedicated to building a prosperous nation.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The effort taken to hold the UN General Assembly in a modified format, in keeping with the current constraints is commendable. I extend my deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones due to the pandemic and express deep appreciation to the frontline healthcare and essential workers, both in Sri Lanka and globally, for their dedication and selfless commitment. The theme of this year’s General Debate is timely, and echoes the importance of solidarity across national borders in alleviating the effects of COVID-19. We commend the efforts taken by the UN to respond to this challenge, including the COVID 19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan and the establishment of the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, Ayubowan! At the outset, I congratulate Your Excellency Volkan Bozkir on being elected as the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. We wish you success and assure you of our fullest cooperation. I take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to His Excellency Prof. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, for his effective stewardship of the last General Assembly. I wish to extend Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the Secretary-General His Excellency Antonio Guterres for his dynamic leadership and untiring efforts in pursuing the objectives of the United Nations, even amidst unprecedented conditions brought about by the pandemic.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)