Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday recommended the UN-ESCAP to take four measures, including one that will help the developed world, development partners and international financial institutions (IFIs) come forward to ensure quick recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

Sheikh Hasina made the recommendations in her recorded speech delivered at the 77th Annual Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP).

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ESCAP’s four-day (Monday-Thursday) virtual session is being held under the theme “Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific”.

The four measures that the Bangladesh Prime Minister recommended for ESCAP include: The developed world, development partners and IFIs should come forward in attaining quick recovery from the COVID pandemic; to ‘build back better’ from any crisis and the development approach should be more inclusive, resilient and environment friendly one.

The measures also include the Asia-Pacific region should take efficient policies and strategies for a strengthened and universal public health system; and Establishing seamless connectivity in the areas of trade, transport, energy and ICT, science and technology.

Talking about the Rohingya issue, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is hosting 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar.

“We urge the international community to remain focused on this issue for a viable solution through sustainable repatriation,” she said.

The Prime Minister said the Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the health systems and economies across the globe. Nearly 2.95 million people have died and hundreds more are dying every day of the deadly disease, she said.

The pandemic has made many people poorer while many others are sliding back to poverty, Hasina added.

Also Read: Covid-19: Hasina for balancing livelihoods and public health

“In Bangladesh, we’ve announced stimulus packages worth about USD 14.6 billion, around 4.44% of our GDP, for widening social protection, retaining jobs and bolstering the economy,” Hasina said.

She said the latest Five-Year Plan included strategies for recovery from Covid-19 and preparing Bangladesh for smooth and sustainable LDC graduation, achieving SDGs, and setting a trajectory towards a prosperous country by 2041.

Noting that Bangladesh has continued to move forward with environmental management, the PM said adaptation efforts to climate change have been supported by programmes funded through the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund.

“We see regional cooperation as the most viable option for shared prosperity,” she said adding that Bangladesh is engaged in SAARC, BIMSTEC, BBIN, BCIM-EC and Trilateral Highway initiatives.

The ‘South-South Network for Public Service Innovation’ helps Bangladesh through partnership with other countries, the Prime Minister said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is an ardent supporter of increased connectivity and ESCAP’s initiative of the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway.

Bangladesh is also actively engaging with the Cross-border paperless Trade, Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, PPP networking, renewable energy and other initiatives of UN-ESCAP, she said.

“We’re committed to achieving Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” she said.

President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha, President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kiribati Taneti Maamau, Prime Minister of Tuvalu Kausea Natano, President of Marshall Islands and Prime Minister of Fiji Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama addressed the session.

Top representatives from different international agencies also spoke at the session chaired by Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi.