Sri Lanka has called for strict adherence to international law and international humanitarian law amid the ongoing conflicts in West Asia, while reaffirming its support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said conflicts in West Asia and other regions have a direct impact on Sri Lanka’s security, economy, and society, particularly due to the country’s location in the Indian Ocean and the large number of Sri Lankans employed in the region.
He said that despite the challenging geopolitical environment, Sri Lanka has continued to uphold its international commitments and protect human life and dignity.
Recalling an incident in March this year, the Minister said Sri Lanka had rescued sailors from a vessel belonging to a party to a conflict after it met with an accident near Sri Lanka’s maritime boundaries.
“While upholding our impartiality, we prioritized humanity above all else,” he said, noting that Sri Lanka used its limited resources to rescue and provide assistance to injured and sick sailors.
He said the decision was taken in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.
Quoting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Minister said: “We will never hesitate to protect humanity. If action is required to save human lives, we will not hesitate to take such measures under any circumstances.”
Herath said Sri Lanka seeks to present itself as a small island nation that believes there is always room for humanity, even amid conflicts and deep divisions.
“We desire a world where the capacity to preserve humanity grows more rapidly than the capacity to destroy it. Such a transformation is what we must aspire to,” he said.
Expressing concern over the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, Herath said Sri Lanka remained deeply distressed by the continuing developments.
He questioned the continued allocation of vast resources for weapons while children face hunger and lack access to medicine and education.
“Sri Lanka remains deeply concerned about the conflicts in West Asia and the heavy toll being exacted both within and beyond that region,” he said.
Sri Lanka reiterated its call for all parties to respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and said negotiations remain the practical way forward.
The country also reaffirmed its support for the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.
Recalling that Sri Lanka was among the countries that recognized Palestine as a state in the 1980s, Herath reiterated Sri Lanka’s support for an independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel within the pre-1967 borders.
He also stressed that humanitarian assistance must reach civilians without obstruction and that the restoration and reconstruction of Gaza should be treated as an urgent priority.
