News
Prof Mohan Munasinghe delivers keynote at global climate change event
Professor Mohan Munasinghe, 2021 Blue Planet Prize Laureate and co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace, recently delivered a plenary keynote speech at this year’s International Government Communications Forum 2022 held at Sharjah Expo Center on Sept 28 under the sponsorship of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, a news release from Munasinghe’s office said.
The forum aimed to build a platform for better communication and create a participatory dialogue between governments and their stakeholders, to address climate change issues. It attracted over 2,000 business leaders and decision makers from across the globe, who were addressed by world-renowned experts, including Nobel Laureates.
Prof. Munasinghe described effective mechanisms to educate the public and gain their support for collectively driving fundamental changes in society to achieve the goal of creating net zero emissions in communities and businesses, while enhancing adaptation strategies to protect the poor and vulnerable from climate impacts. He presented ideas to engage members of the public and persuade them to change their consumption attitudes, thereby making their activities more climate- and environment-friendly.
Prof. Munasinghe emphasized the importance of integrating and balancing the sustainable development triangle, including economic, social and environmental dimensions, which he first proposed at the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. He also explained how to achieve good governance through multi-stakeholder cooperation via the sustainability implementation triangle, with business, civil society and government working together. Senior UAE officials were grateful for his advice on how to achieve better results at the forthcoming COP28 in UAE in 2023.
Professor Munasinghe is Chairman of the MIND Group in Colombo, which includes the non-profit Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND), a UN recognized centre of excellence working globally on all aspects of sustainable development, and MIND AM focusing on data analytics and management. He is Chairman of the Board of Climate & Conservation Consortium (CCC), and his visit to UAE coincided with the soft launch of the Dubai office of CCC. He is also Board Director of the Eureka Group and Distinguished Guest Professor at Peking University, China. He was Chairman of the President’s Expert Committee on Sustainable Sri Lanka 2030 Vision.
He received the 2021 Blue Planet Prize (also called ‘Environmental Nobel Prize’); and shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace (as Vice Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). A globally recognized expert, his work has contributed to key international agreements like the 1992 Agenda 21 & UNFCCC, 1997 Kyoto Protocol, 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and UN 2030 Agenda & Sustainable Development Goals.
The Central Bank yesterday reported that the country had received a total of USD 6,865.4 million in workers’ remittances from January to September this year.
The CBSL said that it was an increase of USD 1,053.7 million compared with the corresponding period last year, when such remittances totalled USD 5,811.7 million.
The workers’ remittances received in September this year amounted to USD 734.4 million, up from USD 695.7 million recorded in September last year, reflecting a year-on-year increase in remittance inflows.
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has declared that the continued detention of some Tamil-language books by Sri Lanka Customs is a direct violation of the author’s fundamental rights. The case involves author B. Piratheepan from Kilinochchi, whose consignment of 288 imported books printed in Chennai, India, was seized by customs officials over claims that the publications could “damage national harmony”.
The disputed consignment comprised four titles: ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’, ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’, ‘Bayangaravaathi’, and ‘Cyanide’. While ‘Bayangaravaathi’ and ‘Cyanide’ were eventually released after the Arts Council of Sri Lanka classified them as works of fiction, authorities maintained a strict detention order on 75 copies of ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ and 147 copies of ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’.
During the HRCSL inquiry chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, it was revealed that multiple state bodies—including Sri Lanka Customs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs—passed responsibility back and forth without establishing clear jurisdiction. The Commission noted that the initial seizure was largely driven by a lack of Tamil language competence within state institutions and an institutional fear regarding a divided map of Sri Lanka depicted on a book cover.
The Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Damian Fernando attended the 15th edition of Trans-Regional Seapower Symposium, organised by the Italian Navy in Venice in Italy, on 6 and 7 October 2026.
The symposium was held at the Italian Navy‟s historic Arsenal in Venice under the theme “From Regional Waters to Global Influence: Generating Effects Across the Midland Seas of the World”.
Organised biennially by the Italian Navy since 1996, the symposium brings together heads of foreign navies, naval representatives, academics, industry representatives and scientific researchers to discuss maritime security and the role of regional maritime dynamics in shaping the global balance.
The sessions of the symposium aimed to present an analysis of the relevance and influence of regional dynamics on global balances and their relative implications within the maritime domain.
Thus, topics discussed included; ‘Geopolitical Background: Global and Regional Dynamics in Comparison,’ ‘Pivotal Role of Cooperation among Regional Alliances as Security Providers,’
‘Maritime Regional Security Complexes, Global Order and Sea-Based Flows – What Role for Navies?,’ ‘New Arctic Chessboard: Seapower, Resources and the Race for Connectivity,’ ‘Future-
Proof Capabilities: A Naval Force Designed to Operate Across Oceans, Act Within Regions and Deliver Effects on the Ground,’ ‘Future Seas: Industrial Scale, Decisive Mass and Innovation –
Securing the Maritime Domain’ and ‘Future-Proof Leadership: Preparing Maritime Commanders and Sailors for Complexity,’
Cooperation fostered through symposiums of this nature, which bring together a multitude of global maritime stakeholders, will enable the Sri Lanka Navy to respond collectively to maritime
challenges, in pursuit of maintaining a safe, secure, prosperous and a stable ocean region.
Worker remittances up by one billion dollars in first nine months of the year
HRCSL finds fault with Customs
Tax exemptions for residential real estate at Port City distort tax regime: Advocata Institute
‘Geopolitics’ continue bedevil stock trading
Navy Commander attends Trans-Regional Seapower Symposium in Italy
Heavy showers about (100-150) mm are likely at some places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern provinces
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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