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Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 4.05 GMT |
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Eradication of terrorism creates broader
space to achieve MDGs in the health sector -
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Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has
underscored the importance of the
Government’s ongoing drive to eradicate
terrorism from Sri Lanka, as a means to
creating broader space and a more positive
environment to the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the
2015 target date set by the UN. The Minister
made this observation, while delivering the
welcome address yesterday in Colombo at the
inauguration of the ECOSOC Regional
Ministerial Meeting on Financing Strategies
for Healthcare.
This Regional preparatory meeting leading to
the United Nations Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review
is being jointly organized by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of
Healthcare and Nutrition, in partnership
with three UN bodies, namely the UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA),
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and Pacific (UNESCAP) and attended by the
Foreign Minister of Myanmar, the Minister of
Health of the Maldives , The Minister of
Finance of Bhutan, and Deputy Ministers from
Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, as well as a large
number of high-level representatives of
Governments, UN multilateral organizations,
NGOs and the private sector.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka
delivered the keynote address at the
inauguration of this regional meeting in
which he highlighted the fact that the
strategy for financing healthcare in Sri
Lanka was very simple – that it is provided
for in the national budget. Although Sri
Lanka is not a rich country, the State has
always provided free healthcare to all
citizens from birth to death.
Foreign Minister Bogollagama, elaborating
further in his welcome address, stated that
Sri Lanka is all set to achieve the MDGs in
the health sector well before the 2015
target date, on the basis of its proven
track record of positive social welfare
development, reflected in the superior
achievements in the health and education
sectors, which have in turn empowered the
people. The Government’s efforts to counter
terrorism should be viewed in the context of
providing greater space and opportunity for
further empowerment of the people in the
parts of the country which have been denied
democracy due to terrorism. This would also
enable an inclusive process to commence,
enabling the true voices of the people which
have been hitherto silenced due to the
threat of terrorism, to be heard and
articulated. The success of the Government
strategy can not be measured by the rhetoric
value of mere statements, but in terms of
the endorsement by the people. The popular
support manifested by the over 70% mandate
for the Government at the recent Provincial
Council elections is perhaps unprecedented
in a democracy, especially given the
inherent disadvantage of incumbency and the
current global economic downturn, which has
also affected Sri Lanka.
Minister Bogollagama noted that resilience
of the Sri Lankan people was amply
demonstrated by the remarkably quick
recovery from the devastation caused by the
Tsunami in December 2004. Similarly, he
expressed optimism that the investment that
the Government has made in the people by
providing free healthcare and education, as
well as support for agriculture and
industry, will pay rich dividends and enable
the achievement of the MDGs, which are
reflected in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s
vision of empowering the people and ensuring
the security of the nation.
The Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition,
Nimal Siripala De Silva, Vice President of
the United Nations Economic and Social
Council ( ECOSOC) Ambassador Hamidon Ali,
Assistant Secretary General of the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs ( UNDESA) Mr. Thomas Stelzer, and
Deputy Director –General of the World Health
Organization (WHO), Dr. Anarfi Asamoa- Baah
also addressed the inauguration of the
Regional Meeting.
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