Charitha Herath: Has been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information by the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa on 12th July, 2012. Prior to his present appointment, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Central Environment Authority by His Excellency the President in May, 2010. Charitha Herath integrates environmental considerations in to the development process of Sri Lanka. In line with the vision and mission of the Central Environment Authority (CEA), he steers the nation towards protecting and managing the quality of the environment by enforcing environmental laws and regulations. He confides in promoting public participation and environmental education and ensuring the use of advanced technological solutions.

Further directs the CEA to promote sustainable development, to conserve Sri Lanka’s rich natural resources by ensuring regulatory compliance and developing new environmental policies, to educate the public on environmental issues as well as to implement procedures and solutions to address environmental concerns.

Professional Experience

Prior to accepting his post as the Chairman, Central Environmental Authority, Herath served as a Consultant to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information from November, 2005 to April, 2010. He was responsible for the supervision of the Media Monitoring Project, the exercise in ‘War Reporting’ , developing on media related issues including a Media Policy and designing a framework for the role of Media in good governance. Beyond his duties and responsibilities at the Central Environmental Authority, Charitha Herath is extensively involved in the national discussion on democracy. He offers his expert advice, knowledge and experience in developing good governance. Creating democratic values and implementing a democratic system in Sri Lanka.

Currently on secondment for national services from his permanent academic position a s a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. He continues to work on his academic research, specializing in governments and politics in Asia, ethnic studies, cultural psychology, social and political philosophy, with his main focus on political psychology. As a widely published author, Charitha Herath as written articles on good governance, ethnic issues, politics, theoretical development of democracy and national security issues.

Local and Foreign Representations

Internationally, Charitha Herath has attended and participated in multiple conferences. International Solid Waste Association World Congress 2011 in Daegu, Korea from 17th -20th October, 2011, in which he delivered the keynote address. The 10th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan from 18th – 29th October, 2010. The 5th meeting of the Conference of Parties serving as the Meeting of Parties for the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety (COP-MOP 5) in Nagoya, Japan from 11th – 15th, October, 2010.

The 3rd South Asia Economic Summit in Kathmandu, Nepal from 17th – 19th December,2010 in which he served as a commentator; and The 5th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in Internation Trade in Geneva, Switzerland from 20th – 24th June, 2011.

In Sri Lanka, Charitha Herath has served as a committee member in formulation of a regulatory framework for Radio & TV broadcasting in Sri Lanka and formulation of a State Media Policy at the Ministry of Mass Media and Information in 2006.

Education

Has completed the studies in his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy with a minor in Psychology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in 1994 and the Post Graduate Degree in Social and Political Psychology at Ohio University, USA in 2002. He has also completed Master’s Diploma in Sri Lanka – China Religious Relationships at the Sichuan Union University in China in 1998.