10 Facts About Gamani Corea

Deshamanya Gamani Corea was a Sri Lankan economist, civil servant and diplomat.

Gamani Corea was the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1974 to 1984, Ceylon's Ambassador to the EEC, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs of Ceylon and the Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ceylon.

Gamani Corea's grandfathers were the freedom fighter from Chilaw Victor Corea, who was a member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon, and John Kotelawala Snr.

Vijaya Gamani Corea was his half-brother and Siva Obeyesekere his stepsister.

Gamani Corea was educated at the Royal College, Colombo, after which he started his higher education at the University of Ceylon in 1944, before going to study at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Nuffield College, Oxford, from 1945 to 1952.

Gamani Corea received a doctorate from the University of Nice; a DLitt from the University of Colombo; and a DSc from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Gamani Corea returned to Ceylon briefly to work as a Research Officer at the Central Bank of Ceylon before leaving for Oxford to do his DPhil.

Gamani Corea returned in 1952 to work as an economist and later the Director of Planning Secretariat of the Government of Ceylon in 1952 till 1960 at the same time functioning as the Secretary, National Planning Council.

Gamani Corea assumed post of Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on 5 April 1974 after he was appointed in 1973 for an initial term of three years by former United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

Gamani Corea was thereafter re-appointed three times, his fourth term covering the period December 1982 until the end of 1984.