NEW YORK: Former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya formally assumed his duties as Sri Lanka’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The occasion was marked by the presentation of his Letters of Credence to António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a ceremony held at UN Headquarters in New York on 5 June 2025.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Jayasuriya conveyed greetings from Sri Lanka’s President to Secretary-General Guterres, underscoring Colombo’s intention to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations and its agencies. In response, the Secretary-General extended a warm welcome to the Ambassador and acknowledged Sri Lanka’s longstanding commitment to multilateralism. He also asked that his regards be passed on to the President, highlighting the cordial relations between the two entities.
Following the official proceedings, the Secretary-General and Ambassador Jayasuriya engaged in a bilateral meeting. Guterres reminisced about his early visit to Sri Lanka as a young Parliamentarian with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, recalling the impression the country had made on him and noting the special relationship he feels towards it. He encouraged Sri Lanka to continue its active participation within the UN, observing that smaller and developing nations have often played pivotal roles in shaping the organisation’s agenda.
Ambassador Jayasuriya, in turn, praised the United Nations for its contributions to Sri Lanka’s development efforts through the work of its agencies. He emphasised the significance of this year, as Sri Lanka celebrates 70 years of UN membership, in tandem with the 80th anniversary of the organisation itself. The Ambassador reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the UN during his tenure.
Jayantha Jayasuriya brings to the role an extensive background in both national and international law. Called to the Bar in 1982, he began his career in the Attorney General’s Department, serving as State Counsel and later ascending to the position of President’s Counsel in 2012. He was appointed Attorney General in 2016 before his elevation as the 47th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka in 2019, becoming the sixth Attorney General to move to the country’s highest judicial office.
His international experience includes serving as a Trial Attorney at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for both the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, offering him unique insights into global legal frameworks. Beyond his prosecutorial and judicial roles, Jayasuriya has contributed to legal education as a lecturer and examiner, and has been involved in child protection and financial intelligence initiatives in Sri Lanka.
A Commonwealth Scholar, he holds a Master of Philosophy from the University of Hong Kong, where his research focused on fair trial guarantees under international and common law. His distinguished career has also been recognised by the International Association of Prosecutors, which named him “Best Prosecutor 2012”, and by his selection as an International Fellow at the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute in the United States.
