Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO (SLNCU)
Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO has been functioning since 1949, ever since Ceylon was admitted to membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at the Xth plenary meeting of the General Conference of UNESCO, held in Paris, on September 30, 1949, thus becoming the 51st member of the organization. At the first occasion, the country was represented at the Vth session of the General Conference held in Florence, Italy, in May/June 1949, by Mr. L.J. de S. Seneviratne, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education.
Pending the formation of a National Commission, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of education took the necessary action, in consultation with the Hon. Minister of Education, to implement the programme of UNESCO in Ceylon. As the UNESCO programme is implemented in the Member States by their National Commissions, the appointment of a National Commission, the drafting of a constitution for this Commission, and the establishment of a secretariat for the commission with its own budget were matters needing early attention.
In September 1950, the Hon. Minister of Education nominated the members of the National Commission and approved its constitution. The inaugural meeting of the National Commission was held on October 24, 1950, the United Nations Day. Mr. L.J. de S. Seneviratne, President of the National Commission, was chairman of this meeting. The late Prime Minister, Hon. D.S. Senanayake, in his inaugural address assured the members of the National Commission that the Government would give assistance and encouragement to the National Commission in its Endeavour to implement the programme of UNESCO and in its pursuit of the ideals of UNESCO.
The Mission of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO (SLNCU)
The mission of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO, is to act as the central focal point for all UNESCO activities in Sri Lanka and to disseminate global trends and concepts from UNESCO and its related Centers/Institutes and Commissions and assist in carrying out capacity building activities in Sri Lanka, covering the sectors of Education, Science, Culture, Environment, Information Technology - Mass Media and Communication. The SLNCU also helps in nominating suitable officers from the respective ministries for training and exchange programmes and adds value to the programmes of the Government of Sri Lanka in the concerned fields
