September 29, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has urged the international community to reinforce multilateral cooperation, step up efforts on climate justice and pursue reforms to global institutions, as Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Herath said the international system was facing mounting pressure from armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, climate-related disasters, economic disparities and rapid technological change. These developments, he said, were contributing to declining confidence in international institutions and underscored the need for countries to work together rather than attempt to tackle global challenges in isolation.
He called for a United Nations that is more representative, responsive and capable of delivering practical solutions for countries across the world.
Climate change was a major focus of Sri Lanka’s intervention. Referring to Cyclone Ditwah and its impact on the country, Herath pointed to the heavy toll climate-related disasters can impose on nations that have made comparatively smaller contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions.
He also referred to severe flooding in Nepal and China, expressing sympathy for communities affected by the disasters. According to the Foreign Minister, the increasing frequency and scale of such events demonstrate the substantial social and economic consequences of a changing climate.
Sri Lanka used the occasion to reiterate its environmental targets, including its goal of generating 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Herath also pressed for changes to the international financial architecture, arguing that developing countries continue to face difficulties securing the resources needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. He called for international pledges on development and debt finance to move beyond commitments and produce tangible outcomes.
Sri Lanka further expressed support for the UN80 Initiative, which seeks to strengthen and modernise the United Nations system. Herath said international institutions must better reflect the interests of countries that believe their voices remain under-represented in global decision-making.
The Foreign Minister reaffirmed Colombo’s support for the United Nations, international law and collective diplomacy. He highlighted Sri Lanka’s involvement in UN peacekeeping operations, its advocacy for nuclear disarmament and its participation in international efforts aimed at safeguarding the world’s oceans.
Turning to conflicts in West Asia, Herath called for adherence to international humanitarian law and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need, including in Gaza. Sri Lanka also reiterated its support for Palestinian self-determination and for an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel within the pre-1967 boundaries.
Herath said Sri Lanka’s foreign policy continued to emphasise neutrality, while placing the protection of human life and human dignity at the centre of its international engagement.
He said the changes reshaping the global order should benefit countries at different stages of development rather than widen existing divisions. Sri Lanka, he said, would continue to advocate collective international solutions to challenges that transcend national borders, with greater emphasis on multilateralism, climate justice and reform of global institutions.