Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe
Encyclopedia
Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, CCS
(18 March 1913 4 December 1980) was a Sri Lanka
n diplomat and civil servant. He was the Ceylon's High Commissioner
to India and concurrently Ambassador
to both Nepal and Afghanistan (1963-1967) and Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury and the Ministry of Health. Amerasinghe served as Ceylon's Permanent Representative
to the United Nations
1967 to 1980 and served as President of the United Nations General Assembly
in 1976. He was also one of the leaders of the negotiations to draft the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
.
, on 18 March 1913. He was educated at Royal College Colombo
and went to the University College Colombo, then an affiliated University of London
, as an external student, he took a first class honours B.A.
degree in Western Classics in 1934.
in 1937, starting a career that would span 44 years. As a civil servants he was appointed Resident Manager of the Gel Oya Development Board in 1950. Two years later he was sent on his first overseas appointment as Counsellor of Embassy of Ceylon in Washington, D.C. from 1953 to 1955. From 1955-1957, he was the Controller of Establishments, General Treasury; 1958, he became the Controller of Finance, Supply and Cadre, General Treasury; and, in the same year, was appointed as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Nationalized Services and Road Transport, as well as Chairman of the Port (Cargo) Corporation.
In 1961, Amerasinghe became Secretary of the Treasury
and Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Finance, holding that post until 1963, while also serving as Official Member of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank and Alternate Governor for Ceylon in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
In 1963, he was appointed High Commissioner to India, while serving concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal and Afghanistan, posts he held until moving to the United Nations
in 1967.
In 1976 he became the President of the United Nations General Assembly
Thirty-first session of the general assembly.
While serving as Permanent Representative, he held concurrent accreditation as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Brazil.
ship in his name has been created by the UN.
Ceylon 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...
(18 March 1913 4 December 1980) was a 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...
n diplomat and civil servant. He was the Ceylon's High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to India and concurrently Ambassador
Ambassador
An 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....
to both Nepal and Afghanistan (1963-1967) and 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 the Ministry of Finance & Treasury and the Ministry of Health. Amerasinghe served as Ceylon's Permanent Representative
Permanent Representative
A 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...
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
1967 to 1980 and served as President of the United Nations General Assembly
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
in 1976. He was also one of the leaders of the negotiations to draft the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
.
Education
Born in ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, on 18 March 1913. He was educated at Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
and went to the University College Colombo, then an affiliated University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, as an external student, he took a first class honours B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Western Classics in 1934.
Civil Service
Amerasinghe joined the prestigious 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...
in 1937, starting a career that would span 44 years. As a civil servants he was appointed Resident Manager of the Gel Oya Development Board in 1950. Two years later he was sent on his first overseas appointment as Counsellor of Embassy of Ceylon in Washington, D.C. from 1953 to 1955. From 1955-1957, he was the Controller of Establishments, General Treasury; 1958, he became the Controller of Finance, Supply and Cadre, General Treasury; and, in the same year, was appointed as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Nationalized Services and Road Transport, as well as Chairman of the Port (Cargo) Corporation.
In 1961, Amerasinghe became Secretary of the Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
and Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Finance, holding that post until 1963, while also serving as Official Member of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank and Alternate Governor for Ceylon in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
In 1963, he was appointed High Commissioner to India, while serving concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal and Afghanistan, posts he held until moving to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 1967.
United Nations
Amerasinghe was appointed Ceylon's Permanent Representative to the UN in 1967, a post he would hold till 1980. At the UN he held several key positions. These included Chairmanship of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction, President of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and Chairman United Nations Sea-Bed Committee. Amerasinghe was also the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, which Sri Lanka proposed be designated as "zone of peace". He has chaired that Committee since it was created in 1973. Also, since its creation in 1969, he has been Chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories.In 1976 he became the President of the United Nations General Assembly
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
Thirty-first session of the general assembly.
While serving as Permanent Representative, he held concurrent accreditation as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Brazil.
Death
He died on 4 December 1980 in Sri Lanka. For his services for the Law of the Sea, a fellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
ship in his name has been created by the UN.