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WIPO unveils Kirinde masterpiece to honour Lakshman Kadirgamar
View(s):To honour former Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and in memory of the rich legacy he left behind, a famous painting was unveiled at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva on Thursday. The painting gifted to WIPO by Suganthi Kadirgamar, the late Minister’s spouse is one of the masterpieces of renowned Sri Lankan painter Stanley Kirinde. It depicts ‘Guttila the Veena Player’ – a historical poetic narrative of ‘intellectual property and copyrights on music’. The ceremony was organised under the patronage of Dr. Francis Gurry, the Director General of WIPO.
Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s widow Suganthie, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, along with other dignitaries seen after the unveiling of the Stanley Kirinde masterpiece at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva. Pic courtesy WIPO.
The ceremony was attended by VIPs, diplomats and senior officials of international organisations.Liam Fox, Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade, said that he hoped the painting would prompt the future generations and the staff of WIPO to learn from the legacy of the late Sri Lankan Minister “who served and will continue to serve as an example to us all”.
Remembering late Kadirgamar as “a giant of a man”, Mr. Fox said he appreciated the late minster’s tireless work and outstanding contribution in strengthening global understanding and cooperation. Director General Gurry, recalling his close association with Mr. Kadirgamar at WIPO, commented that the late minister had helped him gain expertise through creative thinking in intellectual property.
The late minister served as WIPO’s first Director for the Asia and Pacific Bureau from 1976 to 1988. He pioneered and promoted development cooperation through capacity building on intellectual property (IP), enabling many developing countries in the region to harness the benefits of IP for socio-economic development.
A.L.A. Azzez, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to United Nations in Geneva, referred to the rich and rewarding legacy left behind by the late Minister through stimulating professionalism and nurturing talent. The late minister dreamt of “a peaceful, reconciled Sri Lanka”, he said.
The event was coordinated by the Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Britain and WIPO.