COLOMBO : Sri Lanka commemorated IORA Day 2026 on Wednesday, 11th March with the official launch of the IORA Centre of Excellence on Ocean Sciences and Environment. The hybrid event organized by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism and the Ocean University of Sri
Lanka, which host the Center of Excellence, was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, Arun Hemachandra.
The commemoration highlighted Sri Lanka’s continued commitment to the objectives of the
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), particularly in advancing regional cooperation on
ocean governance and environmental sustainability. The event also reflected the theme of
IORA Day 2026, IORA Improves Lives, underscoring the tangible benefits of regional
collaboration for the well-being and livelihoods of communities across the Indian Ocean
region.,
In his remarks, Deputy Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening partnerships
within the Indian Ocean Region and Sri Lanka’s role in promoting sustainable ocean-based
development. Highlighting the significance of the new initiative, the Minister stated that Sri
Lanka’s IORA Centre of Excellence on Ocean Science and Environment will serve as a hub
for research, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building to support science-based ocean
governance across the Indian Ocean region.
A message from the Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Sanjiv Ranjan,
was also delivered virtually.
During the event, Sri Lanka officially launched the IORA Sri Lanka Centre of Excellence
(CoE) on Ocean Science and Environment, marking an important milestone in strengthening
regional scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange. The launch also initiated a series of
webinars aimed at advancing dialogue on key ocean and environmental issues across the
Indian Ocean region. The inaugural webinar featured a keynote address by Prof. Charitha
Pattiaratchi of the University of Western Australia, followed by an interactive Q&A session.
The programme saw a large gathering of Heads of Mission of IORA Member States joining
both in person and virtually, along with Heads of Mission of Dialogue Partners, Observer
Countries, and stakeholders from Sri Lanka and abroad.
