News
Cindy McCain appointed new head of WFP
The President of the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), His Excellency Artur Andrzej Pollok, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Poland, has welcomed the appointment of Cindy Hensley McCain, of the United States of America, as WFP’s next Executive Director.
The appointment was made by United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations QU Dongyu, after consultations with the WFP Board at a special session at WFP’s Rome headquarters.
Pollok said: “McCain takes over as head of the World Food Programme at a moment when the world confronts the most serious food security crisis in modern history and this leadership role has never been more important. We wish her well and can assure her she will have the full support of the Executive Board.”
Cindy McCain presently serves as the United States Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome (the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme). She is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, at Arizona State University. She served on the Board of Directors of Project C.U.R.E., CARE, Operation Smile, the Halo Trust and the advisory boards of Too Small To Fail and Warriors and Quiet Waters. McCain holds an undergraduate degree in Education and a Master’s in Special Education from the University of Southern California. She is the wife of the late U.S. Senator John McCain.
McCain will succeed David Beasley as Executive Director, who will have served six years when his term ends on 04 April
The increasing number of conflicts, climate shocks and economic turmoil have led to a sharp rise in the number of acutely food-insecure people struggling to get enough food to feed their families – up almost 200 million since before the coronavirus pandemic. WFP provided more than 158 million people with food, cash and vouchers in 2022, more than in any previous year, and received a record US$14 billion in funding.
In September 2022, Cindy McCain visited Sri Lanka where she met with recipients of US-funded cash assistance programmes carried out by WFP through its on-going emergency operation.
The newly appointed Ambassador of Israel to India accredited to Sri Lanka Reuven Azar visited the Pathfinder Foundation Headquarters at Riverpoint recently and met with the Founder Milinda Moragoda and Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke.
At the Meeting The discussion centered on identifying ways and means of expanding cooperation between the two countries in tourism, agriculture, digital technology and logistics. Over the years the Pathfinder Foundation has established a dialogue with think tanks in Israel. The Ambassador was accompanied by the Hon Consul for Israel in Sri Lanka Dinesh Rodrigo.
Sri Lanka has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing global peace and security through principled and accountable engagement.
At the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra praised the United Nations for its steadfast efforts to maintain global peace and security amid rising asymmetric threats and an increasingly complex operational landscape.
Speaking on behalf of the new government, Hemachandra emphasized Sri Lanka’s unwavering dedication to global peace, supported by a renewed national vision and comprehensive reforms aimed at enhancing professionalism and accountability across all sectors of governance, including defense.
He stressed the importance of civilian protection within UN peacekeeping operations, advocating for more robust and responsive strategies to address the growing challenges on the ground. Hemachandra noted that rapid technological advancements have introduced sophisticated threats, requiring adaptive and resilient peacekeeping approaches to ensure civilian safety.
Sri Lanka is actively pursuing new partnerships and opportunities for collaboration with the United Nations, member states, and regional organizations to strengthen collective capabilities and contribute meaningfully to peacekeeping efforts.
The Deputy Minister also underscored the government’s commitment to empowering women in peacekeeping, in line with national policies to extend military retirement age and promote women in leadership roles.
Reaffirming Sri Lanka’s pledge to uphold the highest standards of conduct and discipline in peacekeeping, Hemachandra stated that Sri Lankan peacekeepers serve under the UN flag with professionalism, integrity, and respect.
He concluded by expressing the new government’s dedication to playing a greater role in global peace and security, urging the United Nations to consider Sri Lanka a trusted and capable partner in advancing the shared goal of effective, responsive, and resilient peacekeeping.
Vesak Day at London Buddhist Vihara, established by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1926), was leld lasdt week (11).
India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Kumar Doraiswamy opened a plaque commemorating the Resolution moved at the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 by Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister the late Lakshman Kadirgamar calling upon the UN to declare Vesak an international holiday. The Resolution was unanimously adopted the same year.
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