The Cabinet of Ministers expressed their consent to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to entrust M/s Shaurya Aeronautics (Pvt.) Ltd of India and Airports of Regions Management Company of Russia or its affiliated company with the management of the Mattala Rajapaksha International Airport for a period of 30 years as per the recommendations of the negotiation committee appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 09.01.2023 to call for aspirations from the parties interested in managing the  Mattala Rajapaksha International Airport. Accordingly, aspirations have been called and 05 institutions have submitted their aspirations.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) launched the Technical Cooperation Highlights 2022-2023 Report on 24th April 2024. The 2022-2023 Edition offers a comprehensive account of the inspiring and enduring partnerships with its partner countries with special reference to Sri Lanka.

Following the successful co-hosting of the Fifth South Asia Forum on Sustainable Development in Colombo by the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) and UNESCAP in 2021, the Sustainable Development Council took a lead role in mobilizing technical and financial resources of UNESCAP to support its core functions as well as some key initiatives of its partner agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Sustainable Finance Committee of the Office of the President etc to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sri Lanka.

This collaboration has progressed towards UNESCAP’s continued technical assistance in strengthening Sri Lanka’s SDG monitoring and evaluation capabilities including developing the Sri Lanka SDG Progress Dashboard, developing Sri Lanka’s first sovereign Green Bond Framework, capacity building of key stakeholders (both public and private sector) on sustainable finance instruments including thematic bonds, technical assistance on Debt for Nature/ Climate Swaps, formulation of the National Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Businesses to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka (ISB Strategy), and Capacity Building of Women Entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka on enhancing business opportunities through Digital Tools.

UNESCAP also provided technical support in conducting Sri Lanka’s Second Voluntary National Review of SDG Implementation (the VNR) and capacity building key stakeholders through a twinning programme with Pakistan.

Further, important work has already commenced in developing a National Action Plan for integrated SDG Monitoring in Sri Lanka, a Multi-stakeholder Action Plan for Inclusive and Sustainable Business Capacity Development and Inclusive Business Accreditation System with UNESCAP’s support.

The visit of the Executive Secretary of UNESCAP to Sri Lanka hosted by the Sustainable Development Council in January this year and the successful launch of the National ISB Strategy marks a significant milestone of this partnership.

The recently launched Report highlights how UNESCAPs partnership with Sri Lanka created opportunities to gain access to innovative approaches to advance the SDGs in Sri Lanka addressing complex and interlinked challenges relating to sustainable development.

Sitting on the pristine beaches of Rathgama in Southern Sri Lanka, minutes away from the historic port city of Galle and the vibrant Unawatuna beach, Aditya Resorts added to its expansive range of accolades with yet another win, gaining a full score of 10 out of 10 on Travellers’ Review by Booking.com. Raising the bar continually in tourism excellence, this award reiterates this all-suite resort’s indelible signature of quality and consistency in Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry.

One of the few properties in Sri Lanka to have gained a perfect score of 5 on Tripadvisor which presented the resort with a Hall of Fame crown, Aditya also gained No 1 ranking in Sri Lanka and in the league of outstanding hotels from New York based TripExpert, the online platform that distills expert travel reviews from over 85 publications. The accolades through the years include the Best of Sri Lanka and Experts’ Choice Awards, the 2019 Conde Nast Johansens Award for Excellence, being selected among the Top 20 Five Star Hotels in Galle and Top Hotel for Honeymoons by Travelmyth.

Director/General Manager Shamindra Fernando attributes Aditya’s continuing placements in the global hospitality rolls of honour as a testament to an amazing team. “Ultimately, hospitality excellence is built on a foundation of people and for Aditya to continually gain top recognition from international entities, is a tribute to our team. It demonstrates that our team stands among the best. Over 90% of the team have been with us for over fifteen years and hence innately create service levels that are not just consistent, but also continue to raise the bar.”

He adds another secret ingredient into the mix of wins. “Aditya’s commitment to the community is evidenced by the fact that the team hails almost entirely from local surrounds of the resort and hence, by adding employment generation, financial empowerment and most of all, the inherent dignity of high-profile jobs, pushes the community’s economy to greater heights. This Traveller’s Review award adds even more motivation to the team’s psyche and the need to break boundaries in the hospitality industry and make excellence a continuous journey.” This brand of responsible tourism is augmented with the recent introduction of environmentally-friendly packaging and a firm mission to achieve plastic-free status soon.