At a special ceremony the Eight-year Tripartite Agreement from 2026 – 2034, between the UNESCO, the Government of Sri Lanka and the South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD) was signed on 29th May 2026, at Temple Trees, in the gracious presence of Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. The Agreement was signed by Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewe, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, & Vocational Education, and Mr. H.T. Kamal Pathmasiri Director General of SACTD, signed the Agreement on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and the SACTD respectively, while Khaled El-Enany, the Director General of UNESCO had signed on behalf of UNESCO. Secretary to the Prime Minister, Diplomatic Corp, Senior Government Officers including SACTD Board of Directors, and Management Board, Academia, International Organisations and partners, well-wishers joined the event in person, while several partners including the UNESCO South Asian Regional Office connected virtually.

Conclusion of the Tripartite Agreement marked an important milestone of the SACTD’s history, and the renewal of the Category 2 Centre status under the auspices of UNESCO, demonstrated the dedication, commitment and forward-looking strategies of the current SACTD management. Delivering the opening remarks, the Director General of SACTD presented an overview of the academic, management and international relations deliberations of SACTD since 2023, that led to the successful confirmation of renewal of the C2C designation for an eight-year period. Former Permanent Delegate of Sri Lanka to UNESCO-Paris, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Ms.Manisha Gunasekera making special remarks emphasised that SACTD occupies a unique and strategic place in Sri Lanka’s partnership with UNESCO as the only UNESCO Category 2 Centre in South Asia dedicated exclusively to teacher development, professional learning and educational research.

She noted that the renewal of SACTD’s mandate reflects international recognition of the Centre’s transformation into a credible and dynamic regional institution that bridges Sri Lanka, UNESCO and South Asia through knowledge exchange, capacity-building and educational cooperation. Stressing that South Asia requires strong regional platforms to address evolving educational challenges, she underscored that maintaining SACTD’s UNESCO mandate is vital to advancing teacher professionalism, fostering South-South collaboration and positioning Sri Lanka as a regional hub for educational innovation and excellence. A message from the Assistant Director General for Education, Qun Chen issued on behalf of the DG of UNESCO was read out at the occasion by Dr. Dharmatilake Wijekoon, Director, Academci Affairs of SACTD.

The Message underscored the significance of the renewal as a reaffirmation of the shared commitment between UNESCO, the Government of Sri Lanka and regional partners to advancing teacher development and quality education across South Asia. Highlighting the pivotal role of UNESCO Category 2 Centers in fostering regional cooperation, innovation and capacity-building, she commended SACTD’s contribution as a leading platform for professional learning, teacher education and policy dialogue. ADG Chen further recognised SACTD’s support to national initiatives, including the development of Sri Lanka’s Continuing Professional Development framework, emphasising the Centre’s growing importance in strengthening the teaching profession, promoting South-South cooperation and supporting resilient and inclusive education systems in the region. The Chief Guest, Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasised the “critical importance of strengthening teacher education and empowering educators and stated that teachers must be supported to respond effectively to the demands of a rapidly evolving technological world and to adapt where necessary.

The Prime Minister further highlighted the importance of regional cooperation such as the South Asian Centre for Teacher Development (SACTD), stressing the need for meaningful dialogue, strengthen collaboration, and develop common policy approaches between regional cooperation to address shared educational challenges across the region”. The Director General of SACTD presented the first copy of the Commemorative publication “SACTD-A Shared Regional Journey: Transforming Teacher Professionalism in South Asia”, edited by the SACTD Team, to the Hon. Prime Minister and to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education.

The formal signing of the Tripartite Agreement was followed by the ceremonial conferment of the SACTDUNESCO C2C Endowed Chair upon Professor Lakshman Samaranayake, by the Hon. Prime Minister, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to education, research and teacher development. A ceremonial medallion and a plaque were presented to Professor Samaranayake by the Hon. Prime Minister and the Secretary of Education respectively, pursuant to the formal recitation of the citation of the Honorary Endowed Chair Award. The conferment of the inaugural SACTD–UNESCO C2C Honourary Endowed Chair marks an important milestone in recognising individuals whose lifelong commitment to education, academic leadership, and knowledge advancement has made a lasting impact nationally and internationally. South Asian Centre for Teacher Development SACTD-UNESCO C2C Meepe-Sri Lanka