Sri Lanka Overseas Service
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lanka Overseas Service (SLOS) 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs
is also the head of the foreign service.
, which dealt with domestic affairs. Following Sri Lanka becoming a republic in 1972 the service changed its name to Sri Lanka Overseas Service.
. The select recruits undergo training at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration
Based on their duty station they may hold one of the following positions;
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
.
Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is the body of career diplomats
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
of Sri Lanka. The Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries...
is also the head of the foreign service.
History
Established in 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 ServiceCeylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
, which dealt with domestic affairs. Following Sri Lanka becoming a republic in 1972 the service changed its name to Sri Lanka Overseas Service.
Selection & Training
Members to the foreign service are selected every few years after an exam carried out by the Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations
The Department of Examinations is a non-ministerial government department of the Sri Lanka and the national examination service. It comes within the purview of the Ministry of Education. The department is responsible for carrying out public examinations such as the General Certificate of Education...
. The select recruits undergo training at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute India is the institute in Colombo where Sri Lanka Overseas Service officers are trained. The Institute functions under Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, with itself coming under the Ministry of...
and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration
Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration
The Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration is a research and training institute on public policy and public administration in Sri Lanka. Operated by India's federal Government of Sri Lanka, SLIDA is located in Colombo....
Grading schemes & structure
Sri Lanka Overseas Service has three grades, such as:- Grade I officers
- Grade II officers
- Grade III officers
Based on their duty station they may hold one of the following positions;
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries...
- Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign AffairsPermanent SecretaryThe Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
(Appointed by the PresidentPresident of Sri LankaThe President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
) - Additional Secretary (Appointed by the Public Service CommissionCivil Service Commission-Chairmen:*John Houghton MHK, 2004-date*George Waft MLC, 1996-2004*Clare Christian MLC, 1981-1982*Noel Cringle MLC, 1992-1996*Walter Gilbey, years unknown...
) - Director General (Grade I)
- Director (Grade II/Grade III)
- Deputy Director (Grade III)
- Assistant Secretary (Grade III - entry level)
- At an Diplomatic missionDiplomatic missionA diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
: - AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
//High CommissionerHigh Commissioner (Commonwealth)In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
/Permanent RepresentativePermanent RepresentativeA Permanent Representative is the head of a diplomatic mission to one of various international organisations. The best known of the organisations to which states send Permanent Representatives is the United Nations; of these, the most high-profile ones are those assigned to headquarters in New...
in UN (PRUN) (Grade I) - Deputy Chief of Mission/Deputy High Commissioner (Grade II)
- Minister (Grade II)
- Minister-counselor (Grade II)
- Counselor (Grade II)
- First Secretary (Grade III)
- Second Secretary (Grade III -conformation of service)
- Third Secretary (Grade III - entry level, probation)
- At an consulate:
- Consul General (Grade II)
- ConsulConsul (representative)The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
(Grade III) - Vice ConsulVice ConsulA vice consul is a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consulate....
(Grade III)
Criticism
In the recent past the foreign service has come under heavy criticism over many issues. These include appointment of non-career diplomat persons to diplomatic posts and the inactivity of it members. Due to the lack of help provided by foreign service personal to Sri Lankans in overseas countries they have been calls for posting SLOS offers local government departments such as divisional secretariats for long periods of time to interact with the public and the abolition of the service altogether with its functions being transferred to the Sri Lanka Administrative ServiceSri Lanka Administrative Service
The Sri Lanka Administrative Service is the key administrative service of the Government of Sri Lanka, with civil servants working for both in the Central Government as well as in the provincial councils. It was formed as the Ceylon Administrative Service in 1963 as the successor to the Ceylon...
.
Former members of the SLOS
- DrHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Vernon MendisVernon MendisDeshamanya Dr Vernon Loraine Benjamin Mendis is a prominent Sri Lankan diplomat, who served as the United Nations' Special Envoy to the Middle East... - Bernard TilakaratnaBernard TilakaratnaBernard Tilakaratna, SLOS was a senior diplomat and bureaucrat of the Sri Lankan government. He was an ambassador to many countries and prior to retirement was the permanent secretary to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-Early life:...
- Wilhelm WouterszWilhelm WouterszThelmuth Harris Wilhelm Woutersz was a prominent Sri Lankan diplomat and civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. He had served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to People’s Republic of China, Italy & Yugoslavia.-Education:Wilhelm Woutersz was...
- Jayantha DhanapalaJayantha DhanapalaProfessor Jayantha Dhanapala is a member of the Board of Sponsors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a governing board member of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Dr. Dhanapala was Sri Lanka's official candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations,...
- Nihal RodrigoNihal RodrigoNihal Rodrigo is a Sri Lankan diplomat who served as the sixth secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation from January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002.-References:...
- DrDoctor (title)Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Susantha De AlwisSusantha De AlwisSusantha De Alwis, SLOS was a Sri Lankan diplomat, who was the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Japan, South Korea and Permanent Representative to United Nations .... - Gamini SeneviratneGamini SeneviratneGanegodage Don Irwin Gamini Seneviratne, SLOS is a Sri Lankan civil servant and diplomat, who was the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand and the Republic of Korea....
- Yogendra DuraiswamyYogendra DuraiswamyYogendra Duraiswamy, SLOS was a Sri Lankan diplomat, who served in India, Myanmar, the United States , Australia, Iraq, Italy, China and the Philippines.-Early life and education:...
- B.A.B. Goonetllike
- Ben Fonseka
- Arthur Basnayake
- M.R. Perera
See also
- Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries...
- Sri Lanka Administrative ServiceSri Lanka Administrative ServiceThe Sri Lanka Administrative Service is the key administrative service of the Government of Sri Lanka, with civil servants working for both in the Central Government as well as in the provincial councils. It was formed as the Ceylon Administrative Service in 1963 as the successor to the Ceylon...
- Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
- List of diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka
- Diplomatic missions of Sri LankaDiplomatic missions of Sri LankaThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Sri Lanka, excluding honorary consulates.-Europe:** Vienna ** Brussels ** Paris ** Berlin ** Frankfurt ** Rome ** The Hague...
- Foreign relations of Sri LankaForeign relations of Sri LankaForeign relations of Sri Lanka refers to the diplomatic and commercial relations between Sri Lanka and other countries. Sri Lanka has stressed its principle of friendship towards all, enmity towards none in its diplomacy. Sri Lanka traditionally follows a Non-Aligned Foreign Policy and does not...