On the occasion of Commonwealth Day, the Commonwealth of Nations Flag for Peace was raised on 13 March 2023 by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya with the participation of Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane and officials of the Ministry symbolizing Sri Lanka’s commitment to the shared values and principles of the Commonwealth.
The hoisting of the Commonwealth of Nations Flag for Peace by member states as a collective commitment to peace is an initiative launched by the Commonwealth Secretariat in line with this year’s theme “Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future". This year's Commonwealth Day marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter.
State Minister Balasuriya in his speech, stated that Sri Lanka, a founding member of the Commonwealth, welcomes the initiative and expressed his appreciation to the organization for its efforts in promoting peace and prosperity world-wide. Delivering introductory remarks, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane highlighted the relevance of the initiative for Sri Lanka, which had suffered years of conflict, and that Sri Lanka has identified the year 2023 as the year of reconciliation, recovery and national unity.