Foreign-Affairs
UN honours 8 fallen peacekeepers from Bangladesh
The United Nations has awarded eight fallen peacekeepers from Bangladesh posthumously with ‘Dag Hammarskjöld Medal’.
At a virtual ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of the UN Peacekeepers on Thursday, as many as 129 peacekeepers from 44 nations who lost their lives while rendering duties in different peacekeeping missions in 2020 were honoured.
Among the 129, eight were Bangladeshi peacekeepers, a figure which is the highest from any single country this year.
This medal commemorates the strength, purity and fragility of the lives lost in the cause of peace.
Equip COVAX to deliver 2 billion doses in 2021: Partners
COVAX, the only global initiative to ensure Covid-19 vaccines for all, has made a call to action for equipping it to deliver 2 billion doses in 2021 as the biggest effort to vaccinate the developing world is falling apart.
"It is now imperative to build on this momentum to secure full funding for COVAX and more vaccines – right now – for lower-income countries at the Advance Market Commitment Summit on June 2," COVAX said in a joint statement Thursday.
"But it will require governments and the private sector to urgently unlock new sources of doses, with deliveries starting in June, and funding so we can deliver," it said.
COVAX, the facility set up by the World Health Organization and several non-profits to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to developing nations, is working in partnership with Unicef as a key implementing partner, developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, the World Bank, and others.
Last year, Covax, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, targeted securing and distributing 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.
Millions of dollars and doses were committed to COVAX on May 21, bringing the total of doses pledged so far to more than 150 million.
"If the world's leaders rally together, the original COVAX objectives – delivery of 2 billion doses of vaccines worldwide in 2021, and 1.8 billion doses to 92 lower-income economies by early 2022 are still well within reach," read the joint statement.
Countries that are advanced in their vaccination programmes are seeing cases of Covid-19 decline, hospitalisations decrease and early signs of some kind of normality resume. However, the global picture is far more concerning.
"At no point in this pandemic have we seen such an acute need to look to the future challenges and not rest on the patchy achievements made so far," said the statement. "We are seeing the traumatic effects of the terrible surge of Covid-19 in South Asia – a surge which has also severely impacted global vaccine supplies."
Designed and implemented amid an unprecedented global public health crisis, COVAX has delivered over 70 million doses to 126 countries and economies around the world since February – from remote islands to conflict settings – managing the largest and most complex rollout of vaccines in history.
Over 35 countries received their first Covid-19 vaccine doses thanks to COVAX.
However, the terrible surge of the virus in India has had a severe impact on COVAX's supply in the second quarter of this year, to the point where, by the end of June we will face a shortfall of 190 million doses.
"Even though COVAX will have larger volumes available later in the year through the deals it has already secured with several manufacturers, if we do not address the current, urgent shortfall the consequences could be catastrophic," read the statement.
Global initiative launched to build sport Club Centres in Rohingya camps; beyond
The Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund, the charitable arm of the preeminent sport club in France, and KLABU, a Dutch social start-up which provides access to sport in refugee camps, will build sport Club Centres for thousands of Rohingyas and host community young people living in Bangladesh camps and beyond.
Together and with the full support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, they will build the sport Club Centres, the first of its kind to be opened at a refugee camp by a sports club, said a joint media statement on Thursday.
Today, more than 80 million people have been forced to flee their homes globally, of whom almost half are children.
This first phase aims to be launched this autumn by KLABU and the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund in partnership with the distinguished Bangladeshi NGO Friendship, which runs healthcare and education programs for the Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host community children.
Over a million Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, have been forcibly displaced from Myanmar in successive waves of violence since the early 1990s.
The project’s Club Centre has been co-designed by partner Solarkiosk and will be implemented by Friendship and KLABU under the supervision of Solarkiosk.
In addition, Friendship, KLABU and the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund will also deliver an innovative mobile sport library solution that will widen the reach across refugee camps and share the power and joy of sport with the larger community.
Following this first phase at Cox’s Bazar, KLABU, the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund and UNHCR will work to potentially expand into other parts of the world.
Runa Khan, founder and executive director of Friendship thanked the Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund, KLABU, and UNHCR for taking this initiative.
"It will not only promote mental wellbeing of Rohingya children but also help them recover from stress and traumatic experiences they have been through.”
Thomas Rieger, co-founder and CEO of Solarkiosk: “We are happy and proud to be part of this truly impactful project and enable and empower young refugees with our solar solutions which are tailored for remote and off-grid areas worldwide.”
They will support these initiatives through social enterprise, creating sport kits for the world to wear.
The Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund and KLABU invite the world to connect with refugees through the universal spirit of sport and the celebration of human potential.
The project, which has now been in the works for almost two years, aims to unlock the power and joy of sport through community-driven projects, which will be kicked off at the single largest refugee camp in the world at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
The initial goal is to reach 10,000 refugee and host community children, and their family members.
The Club Centres, managed by the local community, work as sport libraries, providing access to sport kits and equipment.
Children can participate in training sessions and tournaments, watch sport matches together, and enjoy gaming and online connectivity. In short: the Centres are safe spaces where young people and their family members can develop physically and emotionally, by finding relief from their hardships and pleasure in the practice of sport.
The launch is supported by a global awareness campaign titled “Defined By Spirit” to get people to look beyond the traditional narrative of hardship and dependency in refugee crises.
The Paris Saint-Germain Endowment Fund and KLABU have created a product collection which will raise proceeds and awareness for the cause, available in Paris Saint-Germain and KLABU stores for everyone who wants to support the mission.
“Access to sport should be a basic right for any child around the world, regardless of their background or circumstances. Through this project we look to build on the already extensive humanitarian efforts the Club has undertaken overseas," said Paris Saint-Germain Chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
"Together with KLABU, UNHCR and other partners, we hope to give a portion of the 80 million who are fleeing from challenging circumstances a sense of relief and of belonging."
“UNHCR is pleased to collaborate in this project to help young refugees to participate in sport activities and strengthen social cohesion with their host communities. Sport gives refugee youth a chance to heal, to be protected and to develop their skills”, said Paolo Artini, UNHCR’s Representative in France.
KLABU founder Jan van Hövell added “It is a dream come true to bring together Paris Saint-Germain with thousands of boys and girls admiring the team."
Bangladesh urges UN to take decisive action against Israel’s violation of Palestinian rights
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has called on the UN Human Rights Council to take decisive action towards ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He was addressing a special session of the Human Rights Council on Palestine issue held virtually on Thursday.
Condemning strongly the illegal and belligerent actions by Israel, the Foreign Minister said that Israel must end its continued illegal occupation, unlawful settlement activities and annexation.
He regretted that impunity and subdued response of international community only emboldened the occupying forces.
Govt to help expats get hotel accommodation in KSA for quarantine: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the government will help Bangladeshi expatriates to manage hotel accommodation in Saudi Arabia for their mandatory quarantine there.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines or the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment will make a list of those who are going to Saudi Arabia.
“The Mission will help them get hotels, if necessary the Ministry will subsidize the costs if it's high,” he told reporters conveying that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed them to help expatriates to get hotel accommodation.
Dr Momen said there is a proposal to ensure vaccination under a special arrangement for the expatriates in the Middle East who are above 20 years old and going to countries like Saudi Arabia to avoid quarantine there. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow. We’re thinking of it. Let’s see.”
He said anybody can go for home quarantine in Saudi Arabia if he or she is vaccinated and has a Covid negative certificate.
The Foreign Minister expressed displeasure saying there are too many media reports though only 13 persons got infected with the Indian variant of coronavirus and only one person was infected with black fungus resulting in placement of Bangladesh in red list by many countries and suspension of flights.
“It should not be a big issue if there is one case (black fungus) only in the country having 17 crore people. It’s not even an issue to be reported in the media,” he said.
The Foreign Minister said there are 93 million doses of vaccine in Australia and the new Australian High Commissioner met him on Thursday.
Dr Momen said he asked the High Commissioner what they will do with the extra doses of vaccine. “It’s very unfair. You should give it to us.”
On Tuesday, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir pushed for vaccines for all with its fair and equal distribution globally noting that no one is safe until all are safe.
Billions of dollars have been provided to multilateral mechanisms to procure and distribute vaccines. And yet, he said, the fact remains that only 0.3% of all vaccines have gone to low income countries.
Australia has entered into five separate agreements to secure more than 195 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, if they prove to be safe and effective.
Responding to a question, Dr Momen said there will be a meeting with Russia with relevant secretaries to discuss the vaccine issue the way the government proceeded with China.
UN seeks its Special Envoy’s access to Myanmar to assess situation
President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkır has reiterated his call on the military authorities to grant the UN Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener access to Myanmar to assess the situation first-hand under agreeable conditions while fostering the conditions for a frank and open dialogue.
“The world has not given up on Myanmar. We have not forgotten the plight of the Rohingya people,” he said during his visit to Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday.
The UNGA President, who paid an official visit to Bangladesh on May 25-26 upon invitation of the government, said the United Nations General Assembly is determined to ensure a better future for the Rohingya people.
He called on all leaders to act in the interest of Myanmar’s democratic reform, engage in meaningful dialogue, refrain from violence and to fully respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
Read:General Assembly has not forgotten Rohingya people: Bozkir
Bozkır said voluntary, dignified and safe return is the ultimate goal however the humanitarian need in Myanmar is increasing.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas while in Rakhine State today there is an estimated 600,000 stateless Rohingya, of which some 144,000 are living in 21 displacement camps as well as among the host community since 2012.
“We must not forget the order of the International Court of Justice in 2020 that everything possible should be done to prevent a genocide against the Rohingya,” he said.
The UNGA said the safety and security of the Rohingya and other minorities must be secured. “Their basic rights, including the right to full citizenship, freedom of movement, and the creation of conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and IDPs, must be respected.”
He commended the Government of Bangladesh for stepping up to meet the needs of its most vulnerable neighbours in their darkest hour. “I thank the host community here in Cox’s Bazar, who were the first responders when the first groups of refugees arrived here seeking shelter and protection.”
The UNGA President said the Rohingya people living here in Cox’s Bazar have survived unimaginable horrors and persecution.
Read:Rohingyas rights to return, citizenship must be respected: UNGA President
He said they undertook treacherous journeys to reach safety – last year alone 200 lost their lives at sea. “In recent weeks, a fire broke out here in the camp. Yet, they persist.”
However, since the military takeover on 1 February, insecurity and clashes continue to be reported across much of the country with arrest, detention and use of excessive force against protestors by police and security forces.
“It is not too late for the military to reverse the negative trajectory on the ground and respect the will of its people. The military must exercise restraint and help foster a path back to civilian rule in line with the outcome of the recent elections,” said the UNGA President.
On May 25 he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed the plight of the Rohingya people, the situation in Myanmar, the impact of climate change, the importance of human-centred development, gender equality and women’s empowerment, culture of peace and peacekeeping.
FM stresses integration of nature-based solutions to improve resilience
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has stressed the integration of nature-based solutions into the coastal zone management strategies and other relevant policies instrumental to reduce risks and improve the resilience of the coast.
He termed the nature-based solutions as a cost-effective approach that utilises ecosystems and biodiversity services for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and provides a range of co-benefits like sustainable livelihoods and food, water and energy security.
Dr Momen inaugurated the three-day long IORA Blue Carbon Hub think tank meeting “Nature-based solutions for coastal risk reduction” on Tuesday organised by the governments of Bangladesh and Australia in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and IORA Blue Carbon Hub.
Secretary at Maritime Affairs Unit Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam chaired the opening session. Around a hundred participants joined the opening day of the meeting.
UN to honour eight fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers
The UN will honour eight fallen peacekeepers from Bangladesh to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten, according to a press release from the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Dhaka.
Guterres will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 129 military, police and civilian peacekeepers, including the eight from Bangladesh. They lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year and in the first month of this year, the release said.
Also read: Bangladesh calls for greater int’l efforts for safety, security of peacekeepers
He will lay a wreath to honour more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948.
The fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers are Abdul Md Halim who served with MINUSMA; LCpl Md Abdulla Al Mamun and Sgt Mohammad Ibrahim who served with United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Sgt Md Mobarak Hussain, LCl Md Saiful ISLAM, Md Saiful Imam Bhuiyan and Sgt Md Ziaur RAHMAN who were deployed with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); and Washerman Nurul AMIN of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Bangladesh is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping.
Also read: UN lauds Bangladesh's peacekeepers
It currently deploys more than 6,600 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.
In a message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General said: “I express my deep gratitude to the 85,000 civilian, police and military personnel currently deployed in some of the world’s most challenging hotspots to protect the vulnerable and help to build peace.
The theme for this year’s observance is “The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security.”
Read Dhaka seeks strong global resolve to end Palestinian crisis permanently
Form independent int’l commission to take legal action against Israel: FS
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday said an independent international commission must be formed to take legal action against the Israeli authorities for crime and atrocities on the Palestinian people.
He said a ceasefire is not enough for tackling the future violence in Palestine; rather, the immediate establishment of the State of Palestine based on a two-state solution should be the core of all collective efforts.
While sharing his views on Bangladesh’s unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinians, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that Bangladesh’s position is clear and unambiguous since Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stood up on international platforms to show Bangladesh’s unflinching support for Palestinian rights.
He made the remarks at a webinar titled ‘Israel’s atrocity against the Palestinians: Where is the Humanity’ organised by the Center for Peace Studies of SIPG at NSU.
Professor Abdur Rob Khan, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS), NSU, touched upon the historical perspective of the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians and the peace process and asked the audience how long the international bodies will let this history continue.
Also read: FM warns of legal action if anyone tries to visit Israel from Bangladesh
While critically assessing the role of media on the current escalation of the Israel-Palestine issue, Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan talked about the one-sided media narrative, primarily by the US and UK over the years.
However, this view has changed over the years where just western media no longer dominate the media; rather, social media has democratised and opened space for a bigger narrative with the age of visual media, he said.
Sobhan also stated that the crisis has to be seen from the humanitarian perspectives rather than as a conflict between the Muslim and Jewish communities.
Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan started by asking where is humanity.
He said human rights have been neglected in the cases of Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinians. “Due to the lack of a possible justice, the sufferings of the Palestinians have increased over the period. In addition, the entire process of peace talks in the last three decades did not produce anything for the Palestinians.”
He said the more the dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation continued in the previous several decades, the more the Palestinians lost their land and lives. “Now resistance is the only viable option for the Palestinian people.”
Also read: No change in Bangladesh's position over Israel: FM
Former Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said the United Nations and the international community should take a strong stand in resolving the crisis. He elaborated the role of UN, OIC and ICC in trying to bring viable solutions.
Though Israel has a history of detesting any multilateral intervention, new investigations such as that of ICC should give the international community to build its motions, he said.
Professor Atiqul Islam, the Vice-Chancellor of NSU, said the Palestinian issue is an emotional issue, not just as Muslims but as a person with any sense of justice, equity, freedom for people and human rights.
He believes justice will prevail, even if not in the near future, but the Palestinians will get their land, freedom, and livelihoods back in the foreseeable future.
The webinar began with the welcome speech of Dr Bulbul Siddiqi, an Associate Professor and a member of CPS.
Professor Tawfique M Haque, Director of SIPG and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Sociology, was the moderator of the webinar.
COVID-19 Response: Japan provides ASEF equipment to Bangladesh
The government of Japan will provide over 340,000 items including isolation gowns to Bangladesh to fight Covid-19, which are part of the Asia-Europe Foundation’s stockpiled items financed by Japan.
There will be 30,000 isolation gowns, 2,500 safety goggles, 100,000 gloves and 208,000 masks as the assistance for COVID-19 response, Japan announced on Wednesday.
These goods will be delivered by Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) to Bangladesh from the warehouse in Singapore in coordination with the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO).
Read: Japanese company to invest $25m in Ishwardi EPZ
Japan has provided various kinds of support, including emergency budget support loans, grants of medical equipment, and other support through international organizations to help Bangladesh suppress the COVID-19.
Japan will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh to overcome this unprecedented crisis, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) was founded in 1996 in Singapore as a permanent body of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). It has been engaged in multiple activities with a focus on the socio-cultural field.