The Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, Manisha Gunasekera, held a farewell meeting with the Director-General of UNESCO, Dr. Khaled El-Enany, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
During the meeting, the Director-General presented the Ambassador with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of her active engagement and valuable contribution to UNESCO’s programme of work during her tenure. He commended her leadership and Sri Lanka’s proactive role within the Organization, including its service as a Member of the Executive Board.
Recalling the longstanding, strong bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Egypt, rooted in Non-Aligned (NAM) tenets, Dr. El-Enany conveyed his sincere appreciation to the Government of Sri Lanka for their support in his election as Director-General in November 2025.
The Ambassador expressed Sri Lanka’s deep appreciation for the Director-General’s leadership in facilitating UNESCO’s timely support to the country in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, through a consultative and responsive process. She also conveyed her gratitude for the support extended by Member States and the Secretariat in the adoption of the landmark resolution establishing the Annual Commemoration of the International Day of Vesak at UNESCO, at the 43rd General Conference. She acknowledged UNESCO’s valued contribution in hosting the International Expert Conference on the World Heritage Site and Sacred City of Anuradhapura in April 2025, which was attended by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
The Ambassador highlighted the longstanding high-level engagement between Sri Lanka and UNESCO, noting the visits to the country by successive Directors-General over several decades. She looked forward to a visit by Dr. El-Enany to Sri Lanka at a mutually convenient time in the future, and conveyed the compliments of the Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
The Discussion also focused on the UNESCO 80 reform process; the strengthening of field operations, particularly the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia; Sri Lanka’s membership in the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee Leaders’ Group; and progress relating to the South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD). The Ambassador welcomed the renewal of SACTD’s Category 2 Centre status for a further eight years from 2026, as approved by UNESCO’s 222nd Executive Board.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador presented the Director-General with a bottle of Sri Lanka’s organic “kithul” treacle, in recognition of the recent inscription of Sri Lanka’s ancient indigenous technology of “kithul” tapping on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH). The Ambassador was accompanied by the Minister of the Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, Rifa Wadood.
Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO
Paris, France
26th February 2026
