Ambassador

H.E. DR. CHANAKA TALPAHEWA
AMBASSADOR OF SRI LANKA 
TO THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Dr. Chanaka Talpahewa, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines, assumed duties at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Manila on 04th September 2023.

An officer of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, Dr. Talpahewa came first in the country at the SLFS recruitment examination. He has served in the Sri Lanka Missions to the United Nations (New York), the Maldives, Turkey and the United Kingdom. He served in the United Nations (UN) as the Head of Agency (Country Director) of United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He has also served as the Assistant Secretary (International Relations) to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. In addition, he has private sector experience.

Dr. Talpahewa obtained his PhD in Politics and Internationals Studies from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and was awarded the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship, Developing World Education Fund Scholarship & Smuts Scholarship in Commonwealth Studies. He obtained MPhil in Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge and MBA, MA (IR), MDS and BSc. degrees from the University of Colombo. He was admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law in 1992 and has also completed CIM(UK). He has been a visiting lecturer to many universities and higher education institutions in Sri Lanka.

An outstanding sportsman, he is a double international having represented Sri Lanka in two different sports. He is the first Sri Lankan rowing captain and represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Games and has won medals at South Asian Games and currently holds two Sri Lanka records. He also represented Sri Lanka in lawn bowls at the Asian Lawn Bowl Championship.

Dr. Talpahewa has presented papers at numerous Research Conferences and has contributed articles to many Research Journals. He has authored Peaceful Intervention in Intra-State Conflicts: Norwegian Involvement in the Sri Lankan Peace Process (Ashgate, UK 2015 and Routledge, UK 2016) and co-authored A Quick Guide to Plants in the Maldives.