Veteran diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala passes away

Veteran Sri Lankan diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala passed away yesterday at the age of 85 while receiving treatment at the Kandy National Hospital.

Mr Dhanapala was the former United Nations Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs. He joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1965 and held diplomatic appointments in London, Beijing, Washington, D.C., and New Delhi.

Issuing a message of condolence last night, the Foreign Affairs Ministry conveyed its profound condolence to his wife Maureen, son Sivanka and daughter Kiran.

It said Mr. Dhanapala served his country with integrity, dedication and the highest professionalism that had inspired succeeding generations of Foreign Service officers.

The late Mr. Dhanapala was deeply admired and respected in Sri Lanka and internationally for his humanity, competence and warm personality. He was a role model and beacon to all through his dedication and commitment to public duty and wider intellectual interests and dedication to the arts, the message noted.

The late Mr. Dhanapala is renowned globally for chairing the 1995 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference and for his expertise and dedication to a world free of weapons of mass destruction including disarmament and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. He wrote several books and articles notably on the topics of international security, nonproliferation, disarmament and multilateral diplomacy.