Deshamanya
Deshamanya ( si, දේශමාන්ය, translit=Dēshamāṉya; ta, தேசமான்ய, translit=Tēcamāṉya; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a ...
Dr Vernon Loraine Benjamin Mendis (5 December 1925 – 23 June 2010) was a prominent Sri Lankan diplomat, who served as the United Nations'
Special Envoy
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
to the Middle East. He is referred to as the ''Sri Lanka's Father of Diplomacy'' due to his role in formation of the country's diplomatic service
[Sri Lanka’s Father of Diplomacy Dr. Vernon .L. B. Mendis reminisces his trail blazing career spanning over a half century with Nation Eye](_blank)
/ref> and has served as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Canada; Ambassador to France, Cuba and Secretary General of the Non Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
The movement originated in the aftermath o ...
.
Education
Dr Vernon Mendis was educated at Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa. Premier educational institutions in Moratuwa celebrate 125th anniversary
and the
Royal College Colombo
Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janu ...
. He then pursued further studies at the
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Unive ...
, where he studied history gaining a Bachelor of Arts (Second Upper Honours in History). His classmate at Royal College Colombo was Hon. Justice
Christopher Weeramantry
Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, AM (17 November 1926 – 5 January 2017) was a Sri Lankan lawyer who was a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from 1991 to 2000, serving as its vice-president from 1997 to 2000 ...
who became the Vice-President of the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
. He would later gain a
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil ...
from
School of Oriental and African Studies
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...
of the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
.
Diplomatic career
Dr Mendis was in the first batch of cadets who were taken into the newly formed
Ceylon Overseas Service
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 Lank ...
in 1949 through a highly competitive examination and selection process and later given permanent appointment by Prime Minister
D. S. Senanayake
Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Mi ...
. His first placement was as
counselor
Counselor or counsellor may refer to:
A professional In diplomacy and government
* Counsellor of State, senior member of the British royal family to whom the Monarch can delegate some functions in case of unavailability
* Counselor (di ...
in Ceylon's embassy in Washington, D.C., where Sir
Claude Corea was ambassador. After Washington he was sent to Tokyo to the newly established mission there before its first ambassador, Sir
Susantha de Fonseka arrived. He then served in Ceylon's missions in Paris as
Chargé d'affaires (1953–1955) and Moscow (1955–1960) where Dr.
G.P. Malalasekera was the ambassador. He was recalled to Ceylon in 1960 to be appointed as Chief of Protocol in the
Ministry of Defense and External Affairs at the age of 35, one of the youngest to hold that position. Next he was made deputy high commissioner for Ceylon in London and later in New Delhi.
In 1965 he was appointed as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. In 1970 he was recalled to Colombo, where he was Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, during which time he played a major role in the formulation of foreign policy of Sri Lanka which had become a republic in 1972. A major milestone of his career was in 1976 when he functioned as the Secretary General of the
Non Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
The movement originated in the aftermath o ...
Summit in Colombo, where he had to chair sessions in the presence of some of the greatest leaders at the time, such as Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi, Yugoslavian Premier Marshal
Josip Broz Tito, Cuban President
Fidel Castro. Soon after he was appointed the high commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada with concurrent accreditation to Cuba. When his tenure as high commissioner ended in 1980 he retired from the
Sri Lanka Overseas Service
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 Lank ...
.
United Nation Special Envoy to the Middle East
Soon after leaving the foreign Service he took up a posting with the United Nations as Special Envoy in the Middle East based in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
, serving as the Regional Director of
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. There he was in charge of looking after the interests of the United Nations in the Gulf where Egypt was making waves in its foreign policy. He had to deal with some of the issues in relation to Egypt's Cultural Treasures on behalf of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
and with Egypt's relations with Sudan.
Later life
Returning to Sri Lanka after his work in the UN, he served as the chairman of the Telecom Board for three years. He was also served as a Peace Fellow at the
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...
in Washington and was the funding Director-General of the
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) is the institute in Colombo where Sri Lanka Overseas Service officers are trained. The Institute functions under Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategi ...
in Colombo.
Honours
* Awarded the title of
Deshamanya
Deshamanya ( si, දේශමාන්ය, translit=Dēshamāṉya; ta, தேசமான்ய, translit=Tēcamāṉya; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a ...
by the Sri Lankan Government
References
Further reading
*''A Diplomat for All Seasons: essays in honour of Deshamanya Vernon L.B. Mendis''; editor,
Lorna Dewaraja. Colombo: Godage International Publishers, 2004 ISBN 9552075904
External links
Doyen of Diplomacy celebrates his birthday and fifty years of service to the nation, by Thilaka PereraVernon LB Mendis Diplomat par excellenceSouth Asian Foreign Relations' buddy icon Sri Lankan Foreign Service (SLFS) Career Diplomat from 1949Sinhalayo by Senerat ParanavitanaWe have a people-centric Foreign Policy – Foreign Minister
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendis, Vernon
1925 births
2010 deaths
Ambassadors of Sri Lanka to Cuba
High Commissioners of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom
High Commissioners of Sri Lanka to Canada
Ambassadors of Sri Lanka to France
Sri Lankan officials of the United Nations
UNESCO officials
Sinhalese civil servants
Sri Lankan diplomats
Sri Lankan Christians
Alumni of Royal College, Colombo
Alumni of the University of Ceylon (Colombo)
Alumni of SOAS University of London
Deshamanya