1 November 2022 12:00 am Views - 110
“I place on record Sri Lanka’s appreciation of the high degree of professionalism and commitment shown by the Secretariat in furthering the cause of regional cooperation in space applications,” Mr. Premajayantha said at the fourth ministerial conference on space applications organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission For Asia and Pacific held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Minister also said the following at the conference.
I deem it a singular honour and privilege to be addressing this 4th Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, opening here at this vibrant city of Jakarta this morning.
Let me begin by placing on record the appreciation, by the Government of Sri Lanka, of the excellent arrangements made and the warm hospitality extended by the Government and the people of Indonesia in hosting this historic Conference here in Jakarta.
It has been many years since the days when space technology applications were recognized as a ‘useful’ technology tool—a merely useful tool, I would say—in addressing the development challenges of humanity. As we gather here in Jakarta today in October 2022, ‘space technology applications’ have long graduated, and gained wide recognition, as an ‘indispensable’ technology tool for enabling realization of sustainable development goals, and their targets. In fact, it would be appropriate to say that ‘space’, by now, has evolved itself to be the nucleus of what can be identified as ‘a broader solution-space’. And it is this ‘solution-space’ that has come to be recognized as `Space +’, as reflected in the very theme of this Ministerial conference, `Space+ for our earth and the future’. Therefore, let me take this opportunity to record the strong support of Sri Lanka to the regional cooperation initiatives, both present and future, in the area of `Space +’.
In the meantime, as for the ‘Asia-Pacific Plan of Action on Space Applications for Sustainable Development 2018-2030’, which we consider as a highly effective and cohesive initiative for leveraging the potential of space technology applications in the achievement of SDGs and their targets in the region, Sri Lanka wishes to record its appreciation of the achievements made in the implementation of Phase I of the Plan of action. And, Sri Lanka stays firmly committed in its support to efficient implementation of Phase II of this Plan of Action during 2022 - 2026.
I would like to tell this august assembly that in Sri Lanka, our national policies and strategies on Science, Technology and Innovation have well recognized ‘space technologies and applications’, as one of the key domains of advanced technology where the country needs to develop its national capacity in its efforts of economic transformation. The Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT), as the nationally mandated institution for development and acquisition of space technologies and applications, operating within the purview of the Ministry of Education, has successfully implemented a multitude of programmes for capacity development in collaboration with our international collaborating partners.