Dhaka, Sept 16 (UNB) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said a healthy ozone layer and climate are essential to meeting all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said the leadership of global leading companies is essential to realize the vision into reality and called for concrete and enhanced actions from industry.

"We need all countries to develop National Cooling Action Plans to deliver efficient and sustainable cooling and bring essential life preserving services like vaccines and safe food to all people," the UN chief said in a message marking the day that falls on September 16.

He said the Montreal Protocol continues to protect people and planet alike.

"Let this International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer be an inspiration towards greater ambition on cooling, at the Climate Action Summit and beyond," Guterres said. 

Next week, the world will gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Climate Action Summit, which aims to generate a massive step-up in global ambition in addressing the climate emergency.

"Another year of record heatwaves, superstorms and climate disruption tells us we have no choice but to act now before it is too late," said Guterres.   

As they prepare for this crucial meeting, he said they should remember that the Montreal Protocol is both an inspirational example of how humanity is capable of cooperating to address a global challenge and a key instrument for tackling today’s climate crisis.

"Under this international treaty, nations have worked for 32 years to slash the use of ozone-depleting chemicals, used largely by the cooling industry. As a result, the ozone layer that shields us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation is healing," the UN chief mentioned.  

He said the Montreal Protocol can deliver an equally significant result on climate change through its Kigali Amendment, which targets hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful climate-heating gases still used in cooling systems.

"Phasing these out could reduce global warming by up to 0.4°C this century. As industry redesigns appliances to replace HFCs, it is also essential to improve their energy efficiency to further reduce their impact on the climate," Guterres said. 

He said the Montreal Protocol has been such a success because of unanimous global support. "I commend the 81 nations that have ratified the Kigali Amendment and encourage all others to follow suit."

The UN chief said as they rightly focus their energies on tackling climate change, they must be careful not to neglect the ozone layer and stay alert to the threat posed by the illegal use of ozone-depleting gases.

"The recent detection of emissions of one such gas, CFC-11, reminds us that we need continued monitoring and reporting systems, and improved regulations and enforcement," he said.

Implementation of the Kigali Amendment will be front and center for climate action, said the UN chief.

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) - Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Julia Niblett and New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ambassador to Nepal Joanna Kempkers made a joint visit to Gulshan Society Jame Mosque in the city on Sunday. 

Founding Secretary-General of the Mosque Committee Jaharul Islam Chowdhury welcomed the envoys and provided them a tour of its premises.

Both the high commissioners were impressed with the unique architecture of the mosque, particularly for its maximisation of space in an inner-city location and the inspirational feeling the building evokes, said a press release.   

“It was a privilege to have been able to visit this beautiful mosque and we are overwhelmed by the warm welcome extended to us,” said Australian High Commissioner Julia Niblett. 

“As a multi-cultural country, Australia has benefited from its principles of diversity, inclusion and tolerance – these are values that we hold dear,” she said.

As a country committed to tolerance and diversity, New Zealand shares the same values. 

“New Zealand is a nation of more than 200 ethnicities and 160 languages. Diversity and inclusion lie at the core of our values as a country,” High Commissioner Joanna Kempkers added.

Jahurul Islam Chowdhury, who has been associated with the Gulshan Society Jame Mosque since its inception, said it was a pleasure to receive Niblett and Kempkers at the mosque. 

"We welcome their visit and look forward to receiving them again.”
 

Dhaka, Sept 15 (UNB) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all governments to respect the right to active, substantive and meaningful participation.

"I salute all of you who strive tirelessly to make this happen," he said in a message marking the International Democracy Day on Sunday.

At heart, democracy is about people, said the UN chief adding that it is built on inclusion, equal treatment and participation - and it is a fundamental building block for peace, sustainable development and human rights.

“These values and aspirations cannot be seen as tokens or lip service. They must be real in people’s lives,” he said.

Yet, the UN chief said, the International Day of Democracy takes place at a time when trust is low and anxiety is high.

“People are frustrated by growing inequalities and unsettled by sweeping changes from globalisation and technology,” he said.

They see conflicts going unresolved, a climate emergency going unanswered, injustice going unaddressed, and civic space shrinking, said the UN chief.

Dhaka, Sept 14 (UNB) - Newly appointed Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh Sudipto Mukerjee has lauded Bangladesh’s remarkable achievements in the field of technology and capacity-building. 

He also assured that UNDP will continue to work with the government of Bangladesh for the overall development of Bangladesh from grassroots to national level.

Mukerjee presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday.  
 
Welcoming the new resident representative, the Foreign Minister expressed deep appreciation for the longstanding cooperation between the government of Bangladesh and UNDP in the field of capacity-building, inclusive and sustainable policymaking, development governance which dates back to 1972. 
 
The Foreign Minister thanked UNDP for its longstanding partnership with the government of Bangladesh.

He hoped that the cooperation between Bangladesh and UNDP in the field of implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will continue.
 
Before his designation as Resident Representative of UNDP to Bangladesh, Mukerjee has been working in Bangladesh as the UNDP Country Director since October 2016.
 

Dhaka, Sept 14 (UNB)- Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Masud Bin Momen urged the member states of United Nations (UN) to utilize the notion of ‘Culture of Peace’ for attaining Agenda 2030.

He came up with the call while delivering the country statement at the General Debate of the UN High Level Forum on the ‘Culture of Peace’ commemorating of its 20th Anniversary at General Assembly Hall of UNHQs in New York on Friday convened by the President of the 73rd General Assembly (PGA)sMaría Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.

Ambassador Masud highlighted that 20 years back, under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it was an honour for Bangladesh to facilitate this norm-setting resolution the ‘Culture of Peace’ (resolution 53/243).

He said, “It was therefore, not a coincidence that during the first term of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh mooted the idea of ‘Culture of Peace’ and it was included in the agenda of General Assembly (GA) in 1997 and subsequently on 13 September 1999, the GA adopted the resolution by consensus. It is therefore, gratifying for Bangladesh that when we are observing this 20th anniversary, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is still here to lead our country to peace and sustainable development”.

Ambassador Masud stated, “We’re happy that this notion has now matured into a dominant theme at the UN with widespread resonance. It is noteworthy that in recent years a number of new resolutions have been adopted under this agenda item”. He further added, “We should now engage ourselves to see how best we can utilize the notion to attain Agenda 2030 and even beyond that to sustain the relevance of this agenda”.

Flagging the quest ‘leave no one behind’ in the pursuit to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, the PR said, “In Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has kept people at the centre of our development. Due to her efforts in alleviating factors of conflict like poverty eradication, economic upliftment Bangladesh has experienced much less conflict from within and maintained a peaceful coexistence with her neighbours”.

The President of the General Assembly (PGA) María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés chaired the event and delivered the opening remark. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate LeymahGbowee shared solidarity message and King of the Ashanti people of Ghana his Royal Majesty OtumfuoOsei Tutu II spoke as a keynote speaker at the event.

A classic musical interlude was presented during the opening ceremony by two famous expatriate Bangladeshi artists Ustad Morshed Khan (setar) and Tapan Modok (tabola) which was highly appreciated by the participants.

Member States delivered national statements afterward at the plenary segment. A panel discussion was held in the afternoon at Trustee Council Chamber. The PGA also delivered the closing remark to conclude this daylong event.

Several events were organised as part of commemorating this auspicious occasion. Yesterday a side-event was held at International Peace Institution (IPI) in New York entitled ‘On the Road to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Celebrating Twenty Years of the Culture of Peace’.

PGA of the 73rd UNGA María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, IPI Vice President DR. Amem Lupel, Ex Under-Secretary General and ex PR of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury and Ambassador Masud Bin Momen participated this interactive discussion.