Parliament of Sri Lanka opens first Translation Unit

Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary-General of Parliament, officially opened a newly established Translation Unit at the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 5th October, marking a major milestone. The unit was established to provide the necessary facilities to handle the translation work of the Parliament more efficiently.

Mr. Hansa Abeyratne, Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director - Legislative Services, and Heads of Departments and other senior officers of Parliament were also present at the occasion.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Rohanadeera noted that sound leadership as well as collective unity are essential for the progress of any institution. She stated that the Parliamentary Secretariat always stands for the well-being, job security, and professional advancement of all its employees and emphasized that the staff is the most valuable asset of the Parliament in ensuring its smooth functioning. She expressed great pleasure that the interpreters have actively taken the lead and played a driving role in bringing this initiative to fruition despite the new unit being opened for translators.

Delivering the welcome address, Mr. Perera mentioned that in addition to providing interpreting services, the Interpreters’ Office undertakes a large volume of written translation work. He added that, despite this workload, no office in Parliament has ever raised a complaint regarding delays in translation work.

Mr. C. J. Karunarathna, Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, submitted the concept of establishing a separate Translation Unit to handle parliamentary translation work to Mrs. Rohanadeera. It became a reality with the full support of the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Karunarathna expressed deep appreciation for the support extended by the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General in upgrading the physical infrastructure of the Interpreters’ Office and providing training opportunities to parliamentary interpreters to enhance the quality of interpretation.

The establishment of the unit aims to create a better professional environment for translators in Parliament and to better meet the translation requirements of the institution.

During the event, the Translators’ Anthem and the Code of Ethics for Interpreters were presented to Mrs. Rohanadeera and Mr. Abeyratne. Certificates were also awarded to newly appointed interpreters and translators who successfully completed the training programme conducted by the Interpreters’ Office. Mementos were presented to the Secretary-General of Parliament and the Assistant Secretary-General to mark the establishment of the Translation Unit.

The commemoration of International Translation Day 2026, which fell on September 30th, was also held concurrently under the patronage of Mr. Abeyratne. This year’s International Translation Day was commemorated under the theme "Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights" along with the sub-theme "The Power of Being Understood." The event highlighted the crucial role that interpretation and translation play in fostering communication and mutual understanding across diverse languages and cultures.

Former Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters Mr. K. M. Christopher and Mr. N. Seerpadam also attended the ceremony, and their valuable service to the Parliamentary Interpretation Service was commended.

Commemorating both the establishment of the first ever Translation Unit of the Parliament and International Translation Day 2026, the event marked an important step in elevating the parliamentary interpretation and translation services into a more professional and efficient service. A large number of interpreters and translators, including Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters Mr. A. Saravanabavanandan, Ms. Chamila Nissanga, and Mr. G.F.P. Sureshwaran, attended this event.