Foreign-Affairs
Ambassador Mahbub's Beijing tenure extended by 1 year
The tenure of Mahbub Uz Zaman, Bangladesh ambassador to China, has been extended for another year.
The public administration ministry issued a gazette notification Thursday confirming his contractual reappointment.
The previous conditions of the appointment will remain unchanged, it said.
The government extended the tenure of Mahbub with a one-year contractual appointment in August 2020 after appointing him as the Bangladesh ambassador to China in 2019.
He served as the secretary of the Asia and Pacific Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before heading for Beijing. The career diplomat also served as the Bangladesh high commissioner to Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Mahbub belongs to the 1985 batch of Bangladesh Civil Service Foreign Affairs cadre.
‘Great disservice to your office’: India stings UNGA Prez for his Kashmir remark
India on Friday described as “unwarranted” and “regrettable” the remarks by UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir that Pakistan should raise the Kashmir issue more forcefully and that all parties should refrain from steps that affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bozkir, a former Turkish diplomat who assumed office last September, made the comments at a Press interaction with Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on Thursday. Bozkir, the first Turkish national to preside over the General Assembly, was on an official visit to Pakistan during which he also met Prime Minister Imran Khan reports the Hindustan Times.
READ: India invites applications for citizenship from non-Muslim refugees from neighbouring countries
“We express our strong opposition to the unwarranted references made with respect to the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA) Volkan Bozkir during his recent visit to Pakistan,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Bozkir’s remarks that “Pakistan is ‘duty bound’ to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN more strongly are unacceptable”, and there is no basis for comparing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir to other global situations, Bagchi said.
READ: Rohingyas rights to return, citizenship must be respected: UNGA President
“When an incumbent President of the UN General Assembly makes misleading and prejudiced remarks, he does great disservice to the office he occupies. The PGA’s behaviour is truly regrettable and surely diminishes his standing on the global platform,” he added.
At the press interaction in Islamabad, Bozkir said Qureshi had compared the Palestine and Kashmir issues. He also noted that Palestine has more “political wind” behind it, whereas the Kashmir issue doesn’t have the “same enlarged political wind behind it”.
Noting that it is Pakistan’s duty to bring the Kashmir issue to the UN “more strongly”, he said a meeting could be held on the matter if a group of countries submit an application.
Bozkir added, “As an impartial president of the General Assembly, I must also reiterate that the UN position on Jammu and Kashmir is governed by the UN Charter and applicable Security Council resolutions.
“India and Pakistan’s Simla Agreement of 1972...states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter and this is, I think, very important that we must all remember.”
Bozkir further said, “I think both parties, all parties, must refrain from taking steps that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir. This is I think the very important part of how we look at the case.”
READ: UNGA President pushes for Covid-19 vaccines for all
In August 2019, India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split the state into two union territories. Pakistan opposed the move, which Indian officials said was aimed at increasing development, curbing terrorism and bringing the region into the mainstream.
India has rejected Pakistan’s criticism of these developments as interference in its internal matters.
Our peacekeepers branding Bangladesh abroad as peace-loving nation: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has lauded the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers as ambassadors of peace, saying they are actually helping brand the country abroad as a peace-loving nation.
"Even during this global pandemic, our peacekeepers continue to serve in various peacekeeping missions, fearlessly rendering their responsibilities," he said on Friday.
Dr Momen felicitated all Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their dedicated service to humanity and hoped that their endeavours will help achieve sustainable peace for the international community.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks while inaugurating the 'Peacekeepers Day Rally: Run to Commemorate the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers-2021' in the city.
READ: S Korean envoy shares historical documents with FM Momen
Bangladesh remains a proud contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. It is currently the top contributor of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, with almost 6,500 peacekeepers currently deployed in eight countries.
India invites applications for citizenship from non-Muslim refugees from neighbouring countries
India on Friday invited non-Muslims like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.
According to a report of Hindustan Times, the Union home ministry issued a notification in this effect for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules framed under the law in 2009 even though the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) enacted in 2019 are yet to be framed by the government.
Read Bangladesh wants to begin initial transfer of Rohingyas to Bhasan Char: FS
"In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below....," the notification said.
When the CAA was enacted in 2019, there were widespread protests in different parts of the country and even riots took place in Delhi in early 2020 in the wake of these protests.
Read Refugees: UN recognises generosity, humanity of host countries
According to the CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian -- who had come to India till December 31, 2014.
COP26 President-designate Sharma to visit Bangladesh this week
COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma will visit Bangladesh this week to discuss shared priorities as Bangladesh is considered one of the "crucial" partners on the road to COP26.
He will also travel to Viet Nam and Indonesia as part of his South East Asia and South Asia tour to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the key UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November.
With less than six months to go before COP26, he will meet with leaders from government, business and civil society to press his personal priority for a move to global clean power, critical to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.
Viet Nam, Indonesia and Bangladesh are fast-growing economies with significant renewable energy potential, said the UK government announcing his tri-nation visit.
The visit will highlight their growing leadership and how the UK Presidency will work with countries to support workers and communities to make the transition to good green jobs.
It builds on the recent Climate and Environment Ministerial meeting where, under the UK’s leadership, G7 nations agreed to end all new direct government support for international coal power, and to increase support for clean energy alternatives like solar and wind.
Dhaka calls for tech transfer & IPR waiver to produce Covid jabs
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has called for meaningful transfer of technology, access to aid for trade and intellectual property rights waiver so that least developed countries (LDCs) can also produce Covid-19 vaccines and other life-saving medicines.
He was speaking at a virtual programme on enhancing international trade and regional integration for the LDCs, held at the United Nations headquarters on Thursday.
Although the Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs announced its target in 2011 of doubling the share of these countries in global trade in one decade, Dr Momen said that "unfortunately in the past 10 years, the share of the LDCs in global trade has rather decreased".
The Foreign Minister also stressed the need for South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the area of trade and technological cooperation for benefitting the LDCs. He also highlighted the catalytic role that aid for trade can play in helping the least developed countries.
Also read: COVID-19: Bangladesh to receive over 1 lakh Pfizer vaccine on Sunday
He referred to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which had set a target to increase the share of the LDCs, and flagged that the target was yet to be fulfilled.
Dr Momen referred to the ongoing pandemic and its impact on the economy of the LDCs and advocated for providing support to such countries in the area of digital infrastructure, in particular e-commerce.
He also referred to the sharp decrease in the income of the LDCs from services sector during the pandemic, saying that because of the dependence mostly on the tourism sector, "many of the least developed economies are suffering now".
He also called for enabling safe, regular and orderly mobility from the LDCs in this regard.
Dr Momen also demanded immediate implementation of all decisions of the WTO Ministerial Meetings in favour of the LDCs, including removal of non-tariff and different standards-related barriers.
He stressed on the importance of transfer of technologies to the LDCs, as provided for in WTO rules to address the digital divide between the developed countries and the least developed ones.
The Foreign Minister also flagged the importance of affordable access to Covid vaccines by the LDCs.
Also read: Vaccine inequality in India sends many falling through gaps
He highlighted that there was a huge shortage of vaccines in the LDCs, and suggested that these countries should be provided with financial and technical support for producing Covid jabs and other life-saving medicines.
Dr Momen also called on the developed and developing countries to help the graduating LDCs, and stressed the need for continued support to them for 12 years after graduation.
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.