Oration tomorrow to mark 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Gamani Corea

Monday, 3 November 2025 05:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Gamani Corea Foundation will be celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Gamani Corea, DPhil, M.A. (Oxon), M.A., B.A. (Cantab), one of Sri Lanka’s most distinguished economists and international civil servants in November.

It will hold a commemorative oration, to honour Dr. Corea’s enduring legacy and to reflect on the continued relevance of his ideas for the challenges facing the Global South today.

The oration, titled “Dr. Gamani Corea and His Enduring Relevance for the Global South”, will be delivered by South Centre, Geneva, Switzerland Executive Director Dr. Carlos Maria Correa on 4 November, from 5.30 p.m. onwards, at The Lighthouse auditorium, 24 Horton Place, Colombo 7.

Professor Correa has worked with the Argentine government and has been the Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Industrial Property and Economics (CEIDIE) at the Law Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires. He was a member of the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health established by the World Health Assembly and of the FAO Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture.

Dr. Gamani Corea (1925–2003) was a visionary leader whose intellectual contributions shaped the global economic discourse of his time. As Secretary-General of UNCTAD from 1974 to 1984, Dr. Corea was a powerful advocate for the interests of developing nations and a driving force behind the call for a New International Economic Order (NIEO). His work championed equitable trade, development financing, and structural reform in the global economic system—principles that continue to resonate in today’s debates on globalization and sustainability.

In keeping with his vision, the Gamani Corea Foundation (GCF) was established by Dr. Gamani Corea, in the year 2000. His vision for the GCF was to develop a research institution that would advance his passion for global economic development, with a particular emphasis on Sri Lanka.