Ambassador Jayantha Jayasuriya officially presented his Letters of Credence as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a formal ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York on 5th of June .
During the presentation, Ambassador Jayasuriya conveyed greetings from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to working closely with the United Nations and its agencies.
Secretary-General Guterres welcomed the Ambassador and acknowledged Sri Lanka’s consistent support for multilateralism. He recalled his past visit to Sri Lanka as a young parliamentarian and expressed his appreciation for the country’s longstanding engagement with the UN.
The two also held a bilateral discussion, during which Guterres encouraged Sri Lanka to remain active in the global body, noting the vital role played by small and developing nations in promoting key UN agendas.
Ambassador Jayasuriya emphasized the importance of the UN’s role in Sri Lanka’s development and highlighted the significance of 2025, marking 70 years of Sri Lanka’s UN membership and the UN’s 80th anniversary.
A seasoned legal professional, Jayasuriya previously served as Sri Lanka’s 47th Chief Justice and held key roles in the Attorney General’s Department. He has also contributed to international justice through his work at UN war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
