Largest conference in Colombo scheduled for 2019
View(s):Sri Lanka will be hosting for the first time in 45 years the largest gathering of delegates for a conference scheduled to be held in 2019, since the Non Aligned Summit in Colombo.
The CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments and is reviewed every two to three years in one of the member states and Sri Lanka will host the conference in 2019 with the participation of 4500 delegates at its Conference of Parties (CoP).
The venue selected to host this convention is the BMICH in Colombo with all of its facilities being used to capacity to carry out exhibitions and other meetings and simultaneous side events scheduled to be held from May 20- June 3, BMICH CEO Sunil Dissanayake said.
He noted that this event is considered to witness the largest participation of 4500 delegates from 187 countries. Mr. Dissanayake explained that this was a unique event in that he who was in charge of catering for the Non Aligned Summit back in 1976 has been selected as Chairman of the venue by CITES for next year’s event. The Non Aligned Summit held in 1976 had a participation of 96 heads of state including 2000 delegates. The catering staff is likely to increase its manpower while the conference venue will set up a temporary structure in the car park for additional space, he said. At present the Secretariat of the CITES has already been set up at the BMICH, Mr. Dissanayake said adding that it will be handled by the Buddha Sasana and Wildlife Ministries.
Two years ago it was held in South Africa.
(SD)