Wilhelm Woutersz
Encyclopedia
Thelmuth Harris Wilhelm Woutersz (19 July 1939 - 16 November 2003) was a prominent Sri Lanka
n diplomat
and civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Sri Lanka. He had served as Sri Lankan Ambassador
to People’s Republic of China, Italy
& Yugoslavia
.
, Peradeniya
graduating in 1961 with Bachelor of Arts
in English literature, western classics and European history.
in 1962 and transferred to the Ceylon Overseas Service in 1965.
After joining the Foreign Service he served in India, Germany, Pakistan and Bangladesh before being appointed Ambassador to Yugoslavia (1986-1991) where he was the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. Thereafter he was posted as ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (1993-1997) with concurrent accreditation as ambassador to Mongolia
. Having served as director of various divisions and a Director General in the Foreign Ministry, he was appointed to the post of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (known as Foreign Secretary) in 1997 and held the post till 1999, in this capacity he served as the head of the Foreign Service.
In 1999 he was sent as Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Italy and the Holy See
and was concurrently ambassador to Greece
and high commissioner
to Cyprus
and Malta
. During his tenure he had been Sri Lanka’s accredited permanent representative
to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the World Food Programme
(WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD)an had served as the chairman of the Group of 77 (G77) Conference as chairman of the Rome Chapter from 1999 to 2002. In 2003 apron his return after completing his tenure, he retired from the Foreign Service. Shortly thereafter he suffered a stroke that resulted in his death at his residence in Kalubowila, Dehiwela. He was married to Desiree Frederica Rita Hills.
Woutersz was a past president of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon
.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries...
of Sri Lanka. He had served as Sri Lankan Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to People’s Republic of China, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
& Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Education
Wilhelm Woutersz was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo. He then pursued further studies at the University of CeylonUniversity of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
, Peradeniya
Peradeniya
Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....
graduating in 1961 with Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English literature, western classics and European history.
Diplomatic career
For a short while after graduating, he joined the tutorial staff of S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia before joining the prestigious Ceylon Civil ServiceCeylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
in 1962 and transferred to the Ceylon Overseas Service in 1965.
After joining the Foreign Service he served in India, Germany, Pakistan and Bangladesh before being appointed Ambassador to Yugoslavia (1986-1991) where he was the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. Thereafter he was posted as ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (1993-1997) with concurrent accreditation as ambassador to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. Having served as director of various divisions and a Director General in the Foreign Ministry, he was appointed to the post of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (known as Foreign Secretary) in 1997 and held the post till 1999, in this capacity he served as the head of the Foreign Service.
In 1999 he was sent as Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Italy and the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and was concurrently ambassador to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and high commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. During his tenure he had been Sri Lanka’s accredited permanent representative
Permanent Representative
A Permanent Representative is the head of a diplomatic mission to one of various international organisations. The best known of the organisations to which states send Permanent Representatives is the United Nations; of these, the most high-profile ones are those assigned to headquarters in New...
to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO), the World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development
International Fund for Agricultural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
(IFAD)an had served as the chairman of the Group of 77 (G77) Conference as chairman of the Rome Chapter from 1999 to 2002. In 2003 apron his return after completing his tenure, he retired from the Foreign Service. Shortly thereafter he suffered a stroke that resulted in his death at his residence in Kalubowila, Dehiwela. He was married to Desiree Frederica Rita Hills.
Woutersz was a past president of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon
Burgher people
The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
.