As the Secretary General said in his UN day message, we must be united to make the world a safer and better place. Since we stood here one year ago, the UN team in Sri Lanka indeed has united in purpose and in action to try to make not just the world – but more specifically Sri Lanka - a safer and better place. The last 12 months in Sri Lanka have seen historic and tumultuous changes.
Through these our focus has always been on helping people, in support of government efforts, where there was a need, and where our help could make a real difference.
It indeed did make a difference when we brought thousands of tons of food and relief items to people trapped in the Vanni. We made a difference when we were there to help the government as tens of thousands of people passed through Omantai. We were there to help shelter, feed and help them recover as they arrived in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Pulmoddai. And as I speak we are trying our best make a difference in helping tens of thousands of people return to their home areas in Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya, in support of the commendable and strong efforts of the government to help these people return in dignity, and regain a normal life.
We were able to do this because of the support of the Government, and close partnerships with many organizations, notably the Red Cross for our work in the conflict areas, excellent Sri Lankan and internationally based development and humanitarian organizations, and the support of the taxpayers from many donor countries.
And as the pictures around you show, we continue to work throughout the country, with substantial work in the east, helping people consolidate the gains from peace as they recover from both the Tsunami and the fighting, and longstanding and significant work in the south and west, mainly in places where there are still are many poor.
The most important ingredient in our work is our 2000 staff, 1765 from Sri Lankan and 235 from more than twenty countries. They have exhibited bravery, compassion, professionalism and perseverance throughout the year. Many all over the country suffered the effects of terrorist attacks, of being caught in fighting, and of being displaced from their homes. We hope in the next weeks that all can be together with their families in their own homes again.
Sixty four years ago the UN was created after 60 million died. Therefore the words of the charter are “we the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. The UN was created to help countries and peoples rebuild after a devastating war.
The challenges facing Sri Lanka today after the victory in May, are fortunately, much smaller in scale than those faced in 1945 but some are similar in nature – such as rebuilding lives affected by war, rebuilding confidence, and rebuilding the economy. In meeting this challenge Sri Lanka has the advantages it has created for itself, despite the years of conflict, of a well educated, healthy people who value education, of a business sector with excellent and internationally competitive firms, and world class things that unite it – among these a superb cricket team!
The UN by its purpose, by it structure, and by its experience in Sri Lanka, can support Sri Lanka in building on it strengths to consolidate the benefits of peace - so that as the charter say, all Sri Lankans can enjoy “better standards of life in larger freedom”. Thank you.