May 27, Colombo: Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, a former diplomatic officer, passed away today (27) while receiving treatment at the Kandy National Hospital. Mr. Dhanapala was 85 years old when he passed away.

Throughout his illustrious career, Dhanapala held several high-ranking positions.

Dhanapala was appointed Ambassador in Geneva from 1984–87. He served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States of America based in Washington D.C. from 1995-97.

He also served as the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations from 1998 to 2003,

Dhanapala also served as a member of the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka from 2018-2020, the 11th President of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and the Deputy Chairman of the Governing Board of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).