Commenting on the historic win of Bangladesh, he said the new height that Bangladesh achieved under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was acknowledged by the international community through their vote for the candidate of Bangladesh, Ambassador Belal, as the next managing director of the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC).
Bangladesh secured the top position of the CFC, an intergovernmental financial institution established within the framework of the United Nations, after completion of the election for the post of the Managing Director.
The election took place on December 4 during the Governing Council Meeting of the CFC, where member states decided by consensus from a list of six candidates by vote.
Ambassador Belal will be working as the Managing Director of the CFC, which is headquartered in Amsterdam, for the next four years.
Presently, 101 States including Bangladesh, Netherlands, UK, Russia, China, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. and nine organizations including the European Union and African Union are the members of CFC.
Bangladesh’s election as the Managing Director of CFC manifests appreciation by the international community of its successes in socio-economic emancipation and commitment to the attainment of SDGs by 2030 coupled with the CFC-members’ trust and confidence on Ambassador Belal’s diplomatic abilities and sagacity, said the Embassy on Saturday.
Ambassador Belal now, as Chief Executive Officer of this international financial institution, will be primarily working to fund projects in different countries to bring prosperity to the poverty stricken people.
The 31st Annual Meeting of the Governing Council of Common Fund for Commodities was held on December 3-4 in The Hague.
Dr Md Jafar Uddin, Commerce Secretary and Governor of CFC for Bangladesh led Bangladesh delegation to the meeting.
The Agreement Establishing the Common Fund for Commodities was negotiated in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1976 to 1980 and became effective in 1989.
The CFC is mandated to enhance the socio-economic development of commodity producers and contribute to the development of society as a whole through projects financed from its own resources.
In the past, Bangladesh received funding support from the CFC for the projects in dairy, bamboo, tea, jute, fishery, sugarcane, meat, rubber-wood, medical plants and herbs, kenaf, etc. sectors.
Ambassador Belal’s election as the next Managing Director of the CFC has instilled renewed aspiration to the members of the organization, developed and developing alike, to bring CFC to the aid of millions of people at the margin, said the Embassy.
He has also been elected as Chairperson of the prestigious Committee of the Whole of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention this month and has also been working as a member of the International Criminal Court’s Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims.