Work to build a world of shared peace, prosperity
Hasina calls upon world leaders Sheikh Hasina calls for making 'Bangla' one of the UN official languages
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday appealed to the world leaders to discard self-centered and shortsighted interests and work in unison to create a world of shared peace and prosperity.
“Indeed, our destiny is now one, as is our burdens and responsibilities… We've no alternative but to discard our self-centered, shortsighted interests, and work in unison,” she said while delivering her speech in Bangla at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly.
Hasina said every passing day the peoples of the world are being drawn closer as one village with the fast developing technologies and new challenges like climate change, terrorism and economic interdependence.
“It is obvious that only by mobilising, and optimising our synergies, it is possible to create a world of shared peace and prosperity.”
Amidst thumping of desks in the Assembly Hall, she called for discarding the self- centered and shortsighted interests and work in unison for a world, which the new generation and thereafter would inherit and remember them with fondness and in gratitude.
In her speech, Hasina touched on international issues like impact of climate change, MDGs, UN peacekeeping, making Bangla an official language of UN and domestic issues including trial of 1971 war crimes, terrorist acts by BNP-Jamaat axis as well as the country's achievements in socio-economic sector.
On global economic scenario, she said the world is yet to recover from the world economic crisis, and the LDCs as well as the developed countries are suffering from reduced exports.
Hasina said the crises are due to inequity and injustice resulting from an unfair international structure, which still remains mostly unchanged. She noted that the Bretton Woods Institutions (BHI) must now accommodate stronger presence of developing countries, especially LDCs.
While the BHI can cater to long-term development assistances, Hasina proposed the establishment of a special fund under the United Nations to deal exclusively with SDRs and grants.
“We also propose that all stakeholders respect country-led ownership of all development projects as enshrined in the Accra Agenda for Action.”
Seeking liberal trade regime, she said the LDCs would benefit more through receiving liberal trade concessions such as duty- and quota- free market access and trade capacity building.
She also sought speedy end of the Doha Round of WTO trade negotiations, and fulfillment of OECD countries' ODA commitment to developing countries of 0.7% of GNI, with 0.2% to LDCs as reaffirmed in the Brussels Program of Action.
The prime minister said the LDCs have been affected by unemployment at home, and by obstacles to migration for jobs abroad. Since remittances form a significant part of their GDP, economic recovery measures should assure employment opportunities and all rights of migrant workers, especially those from LDCs.
She said despite the travails of the past years, Bangladesh has fared reasonably well in maintaining an annual GDP growth rate of 6%. This was possible for pragmatic policies on food production, agriculture, rural development, inflation control, and keeping prices of food and essentials within reach of the poor.
She said with the implementation of the national food policy, aimed at stable prices of fuel, fertiliser, seeds and other farm inputs, her government has succeeded again in ensuring sustained food supply to all.
On climate change, Hasina said food security, displacement of people, depleting biodiversity, among others, are faced with serious threats in Bangladesh due to the climate change.
“Though our share of carbon gas emissions is negligible, we are its worst victim,” she said, adding that increasing frequency and ferocity of floods, cyclones, droughts, and other natural disasters, caused by this phenomenon, are creating havoc in the lives lost and the resources destroyed.
She said to meet these challenges, her government has adopted a 134-point adaptation and mitigation action plan. Since materialising the action plans needs enormous funds, a Climate Change Trust Fund with own resources and a Climate Change Resilience Fund with assistance from development partners have been established.
She urged the world leaders to conclude a positive agreement at COP 16 in Cancun this year based on the Bali Plan of Action, with agreed cuts on green house gas emissions and real contribution to the international “Climate Fund”.
On achievement of MDGs, Hasina said despite the world food, energy, economic and climate change crises of the past years, Bangladesh, with the support of the UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral partners, has made satisfactory progress.
She said Bangladesh's achievement on MDG-1 on poverty alleviation, MDG-2 on universal primary education, MDG-3 on gender equality and women empowerment are encouraging and on track.
“In fact, our government with all its sincere efforts intends to raise 12 million people out of poverty, which would halve the number now living in that sad state, by the MDG timeframe of 2015,” she told the general assembly.
About maintaining international peace, she said Bangladesh's commitment to peace, so essential for development, is reflected in her unflinching support for the UN peacekeeping missions.
Since 1988, Bangladesh has sent 97,000 troops to 24 countries on 32 such missions. In the period, 92 valiant soldiers lost heir precious lives.
Hasina deplored that although present troop contribution has made Bangladesh number one among the UN peacekeeping troops contributing countries, Dhaka's presence remains negligible in the Department of Peace-keeping Operations (DPKO) and in planning strategies of peacekeeping missions. She called for proportionate representation in the DPKO.
Calling for recognising “Bangla” as one of the UN official languages, she said ever since the International Mother Language Day was adopted by Unesco it is celebrated worldwide every year.
Hasina said “Bangla” is spoken by nearly 300 million people worldwide and it has a rich heritage in literature, history and in other fields.
Bangladesh Parliament adopted a resolution requesting the UN to declare “Bangla” as one of its official languages.
“I fervently appeal to you all for acceptance of our very legitimate request,” she told the world body.
Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, Kristine Overmire Wazed, Saima Wazed Hossain, Khandaker Mashroor Hossain and Azmina Siddique were present as members of the Bangladesh delegation.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Planning Minister AK Khandker, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Chief Whip M Abdus Shahid, Adviser to the Prime Minister Prof Gawher Rizvi, Noor e Alam Chowdhury MP, Bangladesh Ambassador in Washington Akramul Qader, Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Permanent Representative to the UN Dr Abdul Momen, Principal Secretary M Abdul Karim, Special Assistant to the PM Abdus Sobhan Golap, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes and PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present in the Assembly Hall.
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