Senerat Gunewardene

Sir Ratnakirti Senerat Serasinghe Gunewardene, KBE (3 November 1899 – 10 August 1981) was a Sri Lankan statesmen and diplomat. He was the Minister without Portfolio in the first post independence government and member of parliament, prior to which he had served as acting Minister of Local Government in the State Council of Ceylon. He later served as Ceylon's High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Ambassador to Italy and when he was serving as Ceylon's Ambassador to the United States he was appointed concurrently as the first Permanent Representative to United Nations.

Joining active politics in at the establishment of the Ceylon National Congress, in which Gunewardene was its Joint Secretary (1926–32) and later Vice President. During this time he campaigned for universal suffrage. In 1936 he was elected to the State Council from Gampola and served as acting Minister of Local Government in November 1936. Retaining his seat in the 1947 general election, he entered the first post independence parliament and was selected by D. S. Senanayake as Minister without portfolio in his first cabinet. Gunewardene was also the chief government whip during this time. He lost his seat in an election petition and although he contested the by-election, he failed to win.

In 1949, he was appointed as Ceylon's Ambassador to Italy where he served until 1954 when he was appointed Ceylon's Ambassador to the United States. When Ceylon became a member of the United Nations in 1955, Gunewardene was appointed concurrently as the first Permanent Representative to United Nations until 1958. He was reappointed as Permanent Representative to United Nations in 1963 serving until 1965. During his time in Washington DC, he established the Buddhist Centre in Washington. He was also a founder member and President of the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress. For his service to the government of Ceylon he was made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.