15th May 2025 21:02:13 Hours
A Sri Lankan delegation headed by Hon. Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, participated in the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, held in Berlin, Germany, from 13–14 May 2025.
The four-member delegation included Major General Lanka Amarapala RWP RSP ndc psc, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Brigadier Sumal Wickramasekara, Military Advisor to the Permanent Mission in New York and Superintendent of Police Mr. R.M. Wimalarathne. The Peacekeeping Ministerial was co-hosted by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry of Defence, in partnership with the United Nations in line with the 80th anniversary of United Nations. Over 130 member state delegations attended the high-level event, which serves as a vital platform to strengthen UN peacekeeping through concrete political commitments, enhanced operational effectiveness, and stronger partnerships.
Sri Lanka’s participation reflects its enduring commitment to international peace and security. A key objective of the Sri Lankan delegation was to propose a robust and credible Human Rights Vetting mechanism aimed at enabling the deployment of a larger contingent of Sri Lankan peacekeepers to UN missions. While addressing the event and making a pledge at the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, Deputy Minister Hon. Arun Hemachandra stated:
“Sri Lanka is committed to contributing more meaningfully to global peace efforts. We stand ready to take on greater responsibilities in support of United Nations peacekeeping and peace building missions. We, therefore, call on the United Nations to consider Sri Lanka a trusted and capable partner in advancing the shared objectives of effective, responsive, and resilient peacekeeping.”
This initiative aligns with the UN’s emphasis on accountability, adaptability, transparency, and the protection of human rights in all peacekeeping operations.
On the side-lines of the Ministerial, the Sri Lankan delegation also held a series of bilateral discussions headed by Deputy Minister and Deputy Chief of Staff with high level government and military representatives from Germany, South Korea, South Africa, the United States, Japan, Australia, the Czech Republic, and Liberia. These discussions primarily focused on enhancing collaboration in UN peacekeeping operations, emphasizing high standards of transparency, adaptability, and accountability; particularly in combat engineering (C-IED and EOD), construction engineering, force protection, technical cooperation, and increasing the participation of women in peacekeeping missions.
In addition to peacekeeping, the bilateral engagements explored opportunities to expand partnerships in key sectors such as tourism, industry, vocational training, and foreign employment; reflecting Sri Lanka’s broader foreign policy goals of sustainable development and international cooperation.
By actively contributing to this global dialogue, Sri Lanka aims to elevate its role in international peacekeeping, expand the deployment of its peacekeepers, and reinforce the credibility of its troops serving under the UN flag.
