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Sri Lanka Overseas Service

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The Sri Lanka Overseas Service (SLOS) (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා විදේශ සේවය; śrī laṁkā vidēśa sēvaya) which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also the head of the foreign service.

History

Established on 1 October 1949 after the independence of Ceylon in 1948 as the Ceylon Overseas Service with the recruitment of its first batch of cadets. The service was dealt with foreign affairs, as opposed to the older Ceylon Civil Service, which dealt with domestic affairs. Following Sri Lanka becoming a republic in 1972 the service changed its name to Sri Lanka Overseas Service.

Selection and training

Members to the foreign service are selected every few years after an exam carried out by the Department of Examinations. The select recruits undergo training at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration[1]

Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  • Ms Aruni Wijewardane (May 2022 - to date) [1]
  • Mr Ravinatha Aryasinha (31 Oct 2018 - 14 August 2020) [2]
  • Mr Prasad_Kariyawasam (16 Aug 2017 - )
  • Mr Esala Weerakoon (1 Aug 2016 - ) [3]
  • Ms Chitranganee Wagiswara (19 Jan 2015 - ) [4]
  • Ms Kshenuka Senewiratne (Jan 2014 - ) [5]

Positions

Criticism

The Sri Lanka Foreign Service has been underutilized by the politicization of the Service, with appointments from outside the Service to Sri Lanka Missions abroad becoming the norm. This has resulted in the degradation of the implementation of the foreign policy of Sri Lanka.[2][3]

Allegations of fraud and misuse of public money has also been levelled at some of those who have been appointed.[4]

Due to the sporadic recruitment to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, other Public Sector officers are also appointed to diplomatic posts, with several attempts made in the past to amalgamate the Sri Lanka Foreign Service with the Sri Lanka Administrative Service.[5]

Former notable members of the SLOS

See also

References

  1. ^ Overseas Administration Division
  2. ^ "Foreign service or family service? | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka".
  3. ^ "Nero Is Fiddling in Milan: Sri Lanka's Neglected Crisis of Diplomatic Representation – Part One - IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters". www.indepthnews.net.
  4. ^ "Former Sri Lankan Ambassador Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Sri Lankan Government". www.justice.gov. 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Foreign Service ribboned and gifted to clueless SLAS?!". Sri Lanka Guardian.
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