Colombo, Jun 21 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Jayathma Wickramanayake of Sri Lanka as his next envoy on youth, the UN mission in Colombo said on Wednesday.

Wickramanayake will succeed Ahmad Alhendawi of Jordan and is presently working as an officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Wickramanayake has also played a key role in transforming the youth development sector at the national level, notably through the creation of a large movement for civic and political engagement of young people named 'Hashtag Generation'," the UN said in a statement.

She has served in many positions, including Secretary to the Secretary General of the Sri Lankan Parliament and Member and Youth Lead Negotiator in the International Youth Task Force of the World Conference on Youth 2014.

Wickramanayake was also an Official Youth Delegate to the United Nations, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development.