Colombo, June 3 (newsin.asia): Sri Lanka has been elected by acclamation to serve as one of the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly for its 72nd Session (September 2017 to August 2018) representing the Asia and Pacific Group.
The position will be occupied by Dr.Amrith Rohan Perera, Permanent Representative of Sri Lankaiat the UN.
The General Assembly also endorsed the nomination of H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, as the President of the General Assembly for the 72nd Session.
Sri Lanka last served as the Vice President of the General Assembly in 2007 at the 62nd Session.
Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera is a Graduate of Law of the University of Ceylon (1971). After being admitted as an Advocate of the Supreme Court (1973), he practiced in civil law.
He then joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Assistant Legal Advisor (1976). Thereafter, he was appointed an Additional Legal Advisor and finally Legal Advisor. In 2007, upon reaching the age of retirement prescribed for public officials, Dr. Perera relinquished his post at the Ministry.
During a career spanning a period of over thirty years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Perera has been closely associated in bi-lateral, regional and multi lateral spheres,particularly in the field of treaty negotiations. After retirement, Dr. Perera continued to serve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an advisory capacity on matters pertaining to international legal affairs.
Until 2011, Dr. Perera served a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), having been elected to the Commission by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2007.
At its 63rd Session, Dr. Perera was elected theGeneral Rapporteur by the Commission. He also Chairs the United Nations Ad-hoc Committee on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, established by UNGA Resolution 51/210, which is currently negotiating the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. At the recent Golden Jubilee Session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) Dr. Perera was unanimously elected the Chairperson of the EminentPersons Group (EPG) constituted to advise the Secretary-General on the future work programme of AALCO.
Dr. Perera, since 2009, served as a Consultant to the Commonwealth Secretariat and in this capacity examined, inter alia, the interconnection between Mutual Legal Assistance under the Commonwealth Schemes and Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Money Laundering Measures.
In May, 2010 Dr. Perera was appointed as a Commissioner of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission(LLRC). The Commission was vested with powers to make recommendations, inter alia, on promoting national Unity and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, in the post-conflict phase.
The Report of the Commission has been broadly welcomed, domestically and internationally.
(The featured image at the top is that of Dr.Amirth Rohan Perera)
