Dhaka: The United Nations reiterated its strong support for various reform initiatives of the interim government of Bangladesh led by Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
This support was expressed in a meeting held on Thursday (October 10) in New York, United Nations Under Secretary General for Political and Peace Building Affairs Rosemary DeCarlo and the visiting Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Jasim Uddin.
The meeting was held during the Foreign Secretary's first official visit to New York. Bangladesh's commitment to multilateralism and Bangladesh's various cooperative efforts with the United Nations came up in this meeting. Foreign Secretary Md. Jasim Uddin thanked DiCarlo for this support, calling the support of the United Nations very important in realizing the aspirations of the July-August Revolution.
During the meeting, they also discussed Bangladesh's contribution to UN peacekeeping and peace-building activities and the ongoing Rohingya crisis.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary requested the Under-Secretary-General to increase the representation of Bangladeshi citizens at the senior policy-making level of UN peacekeeping operations. Discussing the Rohingya issue, the Foreign Secretary emphasized global attention as well as global action to resolve the Rohingya crisis. He expressed concern over the current conflict situation in Myanmar, which is creating a new area for infiltration of Rohingyas into the territory of Bangladesh.
Expressing fears that the crisis could spread across the region, the foreign secretary called on the United Nations to play an essential role in resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and repatriating the Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar. He assured Bangladesh's full cooperation to the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy. Referring to the proposal of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to organize an international conference on the Rohingya crisis, the Foreign Secretary sought the cooperation of the United Nations in organizing this conference.
During the discussion, the Under-Secretary-General appreciated the ongoing cooperation between the Interim Government of Bangladesh and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He assured cooperation in various important areas to advance the reform initiative of Bangladesh. The Under-Secretary-General appreciated Bangladesh's role in UN peacekeeping operations. On the Rohingya issue, he expressed hope that the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Miss Julie Bishop, will work with all stakeholders to tackle the issue holistically.
Prior to the meeting, the Foreign Secretary addressed the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of 'Advancement of Women'. In his speech, he highlighted the importance of investing in women's education and skill development and the need to ensure the necessary financial resources in this regard. He highlighted the Bangladesh government's initiatives in women's education, gender equality, bridging the digital divide, and ensuring women's well-being and economic empowerment to make them self-reliant. The Foreign Secretary reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, CEDAW and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, and in the adoption of Resolution 1325 establishing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in 2000 by the then UN Security Council. Mentioned the important role of Bangladesh as a non-permanent member.
Mohammad Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United Nations, attended the meeting with the Under Secretary General.