SL committed to uphold NAM principles - Minister Samarasinghe

Nations must give high priority to the alleviation of poverty, food security, health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, energy and infrastructure and greater access for women before moving towards the 2030 agenda, Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Mahinda Samarasinghe told the Interactive Debate on

‘Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity for Development’ at the XVII Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Venezuela.

The deliberation was chaired by the Minister of Peoples’ Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez.

The Minister reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment towards the principles and purposes of NAM, being one of the founder members of the movement.

“We have continued to grow in strength and now embrace over 120 Nation States, representing two-thirds of the members of the United Nations, accounting for over half of humanity,” the Minister said.

The Sri Lankan government’s firm conviction that durable peace, meaningful reconciliation and non-recurrence can only be guaranteed if the rights of all its citizens are protected and upheld with respect for our pluralistic society.

The government is drafting our national human rights action plan for the period 2017-2021. It has embarked on a comprehensive constitutional reform process that will lay the foundation for a new society.

Sri Lanka has supported the call for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and it was at the fifth NAM Summit in Colombo, where calls were made for the first UN Special Session devoted to disarmament.

The Minister outlined the need to redouble efforts towards nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation and stressed the need for the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. Sri Lanka, therefore, supports the call for early commencement of the negotiation of a comprehensive legally binding international instrument, to prohibit the use, possession, as well as production and transfer of nuclear weapons to achieve the common goal of a world, free of nuclear weapons.

“Sri Lanka stresses the importance of the maintenance of peace and stability, in the international arena and calls for the settlement of all disputes and differences by peaceful means through negotiation, consultation, arbitration or judicial settlements in conformity with the UN Charter and principles of international law,” he said.