Sri Lanka is overcoming the polarization and distrust associated with a long conflict, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Neil Buhne said addressing the 65th UN Day celebrations.
He added that, more than most countries Sri Lanka is positioned to move beyond that and take advantage of the opportunities an interconnected world offers - to improve peoples’ lives.
'It is Sri Lankans who will make this happen', he said adding the United Nations can help Sri Lanka use the universal values of tolerance, mutual respect and human dignity to do this -values which are central in Dhamma Pada, the Bhagavath Gita, the Quran and the Bible'.
UN Chief in Sri Lanka also said that the progress made so far in Sri Lanka needs to be recognized , 'whether it is in terms of the progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, or in the accomplishments of the people displaced as they return and rebuild their lives with the support of the Government, the UN system and international organizations, civil society and the private sector'.
'Here in Sri Lanka it also means helping the country take advantage of the opportunities development can bring – and supporting the government in ensuring that as this happens inequalities become less rather than more.
It means helping the country to adapt to changes – including climate change so that peoples’ lives are not made worse as the climate changes. It means recognizing and promoting, and preserving the richness, diversity of Sri Lanka’s environment and people, and helping the world to appreciate and recognize that unique beauty', Buhne said