UN General Assembly
2011

success achieved by the Government’s initiatives with regard to development in that part of the country. The gross domestic product growth of the country has been consistent at 8 per cent, and unemployment is at a record low of 4.5 per cent. It is also worthy of mention that, in the assessment by the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report for 2011-2012, Sri Lanka shows dramatic improvement, moving up to fifty-second from their rank of seventy-ninth over a span of two years. It is worthy of note that all these developments have taken place within the brief space of 30 months — an achievement all the more significant because of our strong emphasis on reconciliation. Important as economic development is, we have attached the highest priority to fostering the spirit of inclusivity and removing any remnants of bitterness from the hearts and minds of all our people. Over the past 30 months we have recruited 669 Tamil police officers, bringing the total number of Tamil officers to 1,143, while plans are afoot to recruit more