Himali Jinadasa - Artisanal Collective

Himali Jinadasa is a highly respected Sri Lankan-British international development leader with over two decades of high-level experience spanning government the United Nations, and diplomatic sectors. Her career reflects a deep commitment to peacebuilding, women’s empowerment, inclusive governance, and international cooperation across post-conflict, transitional, and developing country contexts.

She has served in senior leadership roles in UN peacekeeping, political affairs, humanitarian coordination, and multilateral diplomacy, including as UNESCO Country Coordinator and Focal Point for Sri Lanka (2011–2023) with regional appointments spanning South and Central Asia. Himali has represented Sri Lanka at peace negotiations with the LTTE in Geneva, led international cooperation portfolios across Asia and Africa, and steered national policy reform efforts on land, education, resettlement, and trade.

A key contributor to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she has mobilized international partnerships with the EU, ADB, USAID, and the governments of China, Japan, India, and Switzerland. Her visionary leadership helped launch regional initiatives in intercultural dialogue, peace education, and gender-sensitive entrepreneurship, and she has facilitated resource mobilization strategies across UNESCO, UNIDO, ILO, ITC, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Himali is Sri Lanka’s first woman Chairperson of the National Enterprise Development Authority, a former Director-General of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, and an advisor to multiple Cabinet Ministers. In her early UN career, she contributed to peacekeeping operations and land rights reform under UNTAET in Timor-Leste, later working with UNHCR and UNDP on national resettlement and IDP policy.

A graduate of the London School of Economics (MSc, History of International Relations), she has lectured on comparative peace processes and authored multiple international publications on conflict, rights, and development. Himali was shortlisted for the UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline under the UN Secretary-General’s Gender Parity Strategy (2022), and is a member of the Commonwealth Business Women’s Network and the Global Board Ready Women initiative (UK).

A classically trained flautist and violinist, Himali studied at the Ealing Junior Music School (UK) from 1980 to 1983 under a full scholarship, and was selected for audition at the Royal College of Music. She performed at the Royal Festival Hall for the ‘Youth Makes Music’ concert and was a former co-principal flautist with the Lanka Philharmonic Orchestra (1991–1997).

Her diplomatic acumen, intercultural fluency, and inclusive leadership make her a sought-after advisor on peace, policy, and innovation in the Global South, she assumed duties as Senior Advisor for Development, Artisanal Collective in June, 2025.

For further information or interview requests, please contact:

Arnelle Kendall
Strategic Communications Advisor, Global Engagement
E: pr***@*****************ve.org
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