New Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

Sumith Dassanayake, the new Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Dassanayake had been serving as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Brazil, with concurrent accreditation to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Suriname and Guyana from 2021 to 2024.  He served as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union Commission, with concurrent accreditation to Djibouti, Somalia and South Sudan from 2016 to 2019.

Other posts that Mr. Dassanayake has held include being Deputy Chief of Mission at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa, Canada (2010-2014); Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oslo, Norway (2005-2008); and Second Secretary at the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Chennai, India (2000-2003).  Mr. Dassanayake has also held several positions within Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including two Director General roles, for the Human Resources and Mission Management Division and the Political Affairs, Middle East and Africa Division, respectively; Director for the South Asia and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Division; and Deputy Chief of Protocol, among others.  He worked in the private sector in Sri Lanka from 1996 to 1998, before joining Sri Lanka’s foreign service.

Mr. Dassanayake holds a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaika Centre for International Studies, Colombo; a Master’s degree in Conflict and Peace Studies from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; and a Bachelor of Biological Sciences from the University of Kelainya, Sri Lanka.  He is married.

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