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New UNDP Resident Representative takes office
Azusa Kubota presented her credentials yesterday (9) to Ali Sabry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, officially taking office as the new Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka.
Prior to her appointment in Sri Lanka, Ms. Kubota served as the Resident Representative at UNDP, in Bhutan, for four years, where she led the work of the Bhutan Country Office to transform UNDP into a more nimble, innovative thought leader, more effective and efficient at delivering results as a trusted partner.
Before her tenure at UNDP, in Bhutan, Kubota served as the Manager and Head of Office of UNDP, in the Solomon Islands, and the UN Joint Presence Manager for UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNWOMEN. She has previously served as the Deputy Resident Representative (Programme and Operations) of UNDP Lao PDR (2014-2016) and the Maldives (2011-2014). She was also with the UNDP Evaluation Office in New York (2006-2011), where she led country-level evaluations of UNDP’s contribution in several countries, as well as global thematic evaluations.
Kubota has also worked in UNDP in Malawi, as well as for NGOs in Senegal, Lesotho and Washington D.C.
With close to 25 years of experience in international development, Kubota has been instrumental in shaping policy and programming for development planning and evaluations along with strategic partnerships.
A national of Japan, Kubota holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, USA; and a Bachelor’s Degree from Smith College, Northampton, USA. She has spent a semester at Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal, and studied French at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA.
While presenting her credentials to the Minister, Kubota stated, “UNDPs new Country Programme (2023-2027) comes at a critical juncture when Sri Lanka is experiencing severe socio-economic hardships. UNDP will continue to support Sri Lanka’s development efforts by pushing boundaries on interlinked and complex issues to drive transformational change. As we enter a new chapter, the priorities for UNDP are clear: we need to bring about integrated development and lasting solutions for a sustainable, green and inclusive recovery for Sri Lanka, to not only build a better world for tomorrow – but to build that better world today.”
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the United Nations to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration’s change of stance on the war.
First the US opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow’s actions and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity – voting the same way as Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then the US drafted and voted for a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia.
The Security Council passed the resolution but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.
The UN resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will likewise visit the new American leader.
Trump’s White House has upended the transatlantic alliance, currying favour with Moscow and casting doubt on America’s long-term commitment to European security.
That rift was laid bare on the floor of the 193-member UNGA on Monday as US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict” and calling for a swift end to it.
European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We need to reconfirm that the aggression should be condemned and discredited, not rewarded,” said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.
UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions.
The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining.
At the much more powerful 15-member UN Security Council, the unamended US resolution – which called for an end to the conflict but contained no criticism of Russia – was passed by 10 votes, with the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstaining.
America’s acting envoy to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, described the US resolution as a “simple historic statement… that looks forward, not backwards. A resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war”.
Rarely has the US been so at odds with its supposed European allies.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the Security Council has been deadlocked by the power of Russia, one of its five permanent members, to veto any resolution there.
For this reason the UNGA has been the main forum for debating the war. But its resolutions are not legally binding for member states, unlike those of the Security Council.
[BBC]
Latest News
Operational time of the Project Management Unit of the Colombo Port City Development Project extended until 05-06-2027.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to extend the operational time of the Project Management Unit of the Colombo Port City Development Project until 05-06-2027.
[The Project Management Unit of the Colombo Port City Development Project is the main unit that connects the Sri Lankan government and the CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd for project supervision, resolution of issues, and coordination of utility services. It is expected to complete the functions that were planned under the second (2nd) stage of this project at the end of June 2027. Therefore, it has been identified that the supervision and coordination activities conducted by the Project Management Unit of the Colombo Port City Development Project should be further continued.]
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers had been granted at their meeting held on 26.06.2023 to establish the Gambling Regulation Authority as an independent establishment with a broad and complete subject arena to standardize gambling institutions, minimize social damage, promotion of tourism sector and ensure economic growth. The Legal Draftsman has informed that the concurrence of the current Cabinet of Ministers is sought to continue the process of drafting bills.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Plan Implementation and Economic Development to grant the policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for formulating the said draft bill with immediate effect
US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
Operational time of the Project Management Unit of the Colombo Port City Development Project extended until 05-06-2027.
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