Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, on Feb. 17, 2026, assuming duties as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.
Following the ceremony, Ambassador Dassanayake conveyed greetings from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath.
He reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to continued cooperation and constructive engagement with UN bodies and specialized agencies in Geneva, noting the country’s membership in the UN since 1955.
Director-General Valovaya expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s role in organizing International Vesak Day at UNOG and the first-ever celebration of International Tea Day in 2025. She invited Sri Lanka’s continued collaboration in ongoing and new initiatives led by her office.
A career diplomat who joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998, Ambassador Dassanayake previously served as Director-General of Human Resources and Mission Management and Human Resources Development, Training and Research at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.
He has also served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Brazil with concurrent accreditation to several Latin American countries from 2021 to 2024, and as Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union Commission from 2016 to 2019. His overseas postings include Ottawa, Oslo and Chennai.
Ambassador Dassanayake holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree from the University of Kelaniya and is an alumnus of the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Hawaii. (Newswire)
