The office was opened in 1 November 1984. Sri Lanka has been a member of the ILO since 28 June 1948. The occasion was attended by Hon. Athauda Seneviratne, Minister of Labour Relations and Manpower, former labour ministers including, Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Hon. Alavi Moulana, Governor (Western Province), Mr Stanley Taylor, first director of the country office, past and present ILO staff members, representatives from the Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, UN agencies and the civil society.