The  government has invited UN Secretary General António Guterres to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time in 2025 to see by himself the transformation the country  is going through.  On behalf of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith extended the invitation on December 17. The Secretary General reiterated his full support for the interim government headed by Prof Yunus.  He also expressed the hope that Bangladesh will continue its active role to promote multilateralism in the UN system, particularly in addressing the global challenges such as climate change, development, international peace and security, food and water insecurity, etc.  Ambassador Muhith paid farewell call on the UN Secretary General António Guterres in the UN Headquarters. CA Dr Yunus leaves for Egypt to attend D-8 summit During the meeting, the Permanent Representative discussed the all-stakeholder high-level International Conference on Rohingya in the first quarter of 2025, as decided by the UN member states in the resolution adopted recently by consensus in the 79th session of UN General Assembly.  Ambassador Muhith sought Secretary General’s necessary cooperation in organising a result-oriented conference which would review the overall crisis in order to propose a comprehensive, concrete and time-bound plan for a sustainable resolution of the crisis, including voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.  US reaffirms support for Rohingya amid concern over Myanmar The UN Secretary General expressed his deep concern over the plight of the Rohingyas and highly commended Bangladesh for sheltering the displaced Rohingyas.  He assured UN’s full support for the high-level conference in 2025 and emphasised the success of the conference towards finding an early and durable solution to the crisis. Ambassador Muhith briefed the UN Secretary General about the formation of the six reform commissions by the interim government in the areas of public administration, Anti-Corruption Commission, judiciary, police, the electoral system, and the constitution, in the lead up to holding a free, fair and credible general election in Bangladesh.  The UN Secretary General highly appreciated Ambassador Muhith for his outstanding contributions as a PR of Bangladesh to the UN and expected that Bangladesh would benefit from his long experience and expertise in multilateralism in the coming years.  In the farewell call, the officials from Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN and the Executive Office of the Secretary General were present.  Ambassador Muhith, a career diplomat and former Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria and Denmark, joined the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York in August 2022.  UN reappoints Dr Debapriya to Committee for Development Policy During his tenure, he served as the President of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS for 2024, Chair of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of UN General Assembly for its 79th Session, Chair of UN Peacebuilding Commission for 2022 and Vice Chair for 2023, and President of Executive Board of UN Women for 2022.  He has been elected as a member of the prestigious International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) for 2025-2028 in a heavily contested election held in November this year at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to take a special initiative to stop the Russia-Ukraine war soon. She made the call at a meeting with António Guterres at the bilateral meeting Room of Qatar National Convention Centre here in Doha.    The premier said the world’s people are suffering due to the war, particularly economic sanctions as the disturbance in the international commodity supply raised inflation. “She has asked the UN Secretary-General to take a special initiative for stopping the war soon,” said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen while briefing reporters after the meeting.  Sheikh Hasina said it will be good for all if the war can be stopped as soon as possible.   “Those who make much profit because of the war should help the affected countries,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said her government is providing some 10 million people with food at subsidized prices in Bangladesh.  The PM praised the UN Secretary-General for his ‘Black Sea Grain Initiative’ (the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports) and his initiatives taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Read: PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in Qatar to join UN conference on LDCs Regarding the Rohingya issue, both the PM and the UN Secretary-General agreed that the displaced Rohingya people should return to their homeland soon, not waiting for the political changeover in Myanmar. Noting that the time of political change in Myanmar is an uncertain matter, Sheikh Hasina asked António Guterres to take a special initiative for the repatriation of the Rohingya people. She also sought assistance from the United Nations and the international community to relocate more Rohingya people to Bhashan Char Island from camps in Cox’s Bazar. Housing for one lakh people was built in Bhasan Char with the own fund of Bangladesh and only 30,000 people have so far been moved there. The PM said Bangladesh prepared accommodation for Rohingyas with its own funds and still there is huge land in Bhashan Char to create housing for the displaced Myanmar nationals there. “If you help us, we can shift many more people to the place (Bhashan Char),” she was quoted.  In this context, the UN Secretary-General said the Bangladesh PM can take an initiative in this regard. Turning to extremism, he said fanaticism is being carried out in the name of religion in different places. In this regard, the PM said those who are fanatics have no religion and no boundary. So, all should work together to fight fanaticism, she said. About the climate issue, she said focus should be given on the disbursement of the committed climate fund. During the meeting, António Guterres highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her unprecedented successes in development, diplomacy and in tackling the Covid pandemic. It (the achievement) is very encouraging, he said  He said the UN Secretary General said they are proud of a leadership like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who very successfully tackled the Covid situation and advanced Bangladesh even facing the crisis due to the Ukraine war. Later, the Bangladesh premier sat in a separate meeting with President of the UNGA-Csaba Korosi at Qatar National Convention Center. In the meeting, Sheikh Hasina proposed to form an international forum with foreign development ministers of the South-South countries to find the problems and potentials and then cooperate among the southern countries in this regard as the developed nations do not help as per their commitments. In this regard, she sought cooperation of the UNGA in holding a daylong international conference on this issue. In response, the UNGA President opined that the initiative should be taken before July next as they would be engaged in the pre-activities of the next general assembly session from July-September. During the meeting, the UNGA President also highly lauded the economic progress of Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina saying it is a miracle and the economic progress of Bangladesh is very good even amid the tough time in the world. Other issues like water management and climate change came up for discussion.  Foreign (Sr) Secretary Masud Bin Momen was present at the press briefing.

Human trafficking is an all-out assault on people's rights, safety and dignity, Secretary-General António Guterres said Friday, the eve of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. "Tragically, it is also a problem that is growing worse – especially for women and girls, who represent the majority of detected trafficked persons globally," he added. Conflicts, forced displacement, climate change, inequality and poverty, have left tens of millions of people around the world destitute, isolated and vulnerable. And the Covid-19 pandemic has separated children and young people from their friends and peers, pushing them into spending more time alone and online. Human traffickers are taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, using sophisticated technology to identify, track, control and exploit victims, the UN chief said. Often using the "dark web," online platforms allow criminals to recruit people with false promises. And technology anonymously allows dangerous and degrading content that fuels human trafficking, including the sexual exploitation of children. This year's theme – "Use and Abuse of Technology" – reminds everyone that while it can enable human trafficking, technology can also be a critical tool in fighting it. "As part of 2023's Summit of the Future, I have proposed a global digital compact to rally the world around the need to bring good governance to the digital space," Guterres said, calling on everyone to "give this issue the attention and action it deserves and work to end the scourge of human trafficking once and for all." Read: Fighting hate speech a job for everyone: UN chief Ghada Waly, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said although digital technologies have been a vital lifeline during pandemic restrictions, they are being increasingly exploited by criminals. The borderless nature of information and communications technologies enables traffickers to expand their reach and profits with even greater impunity. More than 60 percent of known human trafficking victims over the last 15 years have been women and girls, most of them trafficked for sexual exploitation. And as conflicts and crises increase misery, countless others are in danger of being targeted with false promises of opportunities, jobs, and a better life. To protect people, digital spaces must be shielded from criminal abuse by harnessing technologies for good. Partnerships with tech companies and the private sector can keep traffickers from preying on the vulnerable and stop the circulation of online content that amplifies the suffering of trafficking victims, Ghada said. With the right support, law enforcement can use artificial intelligence, data mining and other tools to detect and investigate trafficking networks, she added. A group of UN-appointed independent human rights experts underscored that the international community must strengthen prevention and accountability for trafficking in persons in conflict situations. Women and girls, particularly those who are displaced, are disproportionately affected by trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced and child marriage, forced labour and domestic servitude. "These risks of exploitation, occurring in times of crisis, are not new. They are linked to and stem from existing, structural inequalities, often based on intersectional identities, gender-based discrimination and violence, racism, poverty and weaknesses in child protection systems," the experts said. Refugees, migrants, internally displaced and stateless people are particularly at risk of attacks and abductions that lead to trafficking. And the dangers are increased by continued restrictions on protection and assistance, limited resettlement and family reunification, inadequate labour safeguards and restrictive migration policies. Read: Overseas aid cuts imperil SDGs: UN chief Such structural inequalities are exacerbated in the periods before, during and after conflicts, and disproportionately affect children, the experts added. Sexual violence against children persists, and often leads to trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy and forced marriage, as well as forced labour and domestic servitude. While girls are more often trafficked for sexual exploitation, boys do not escape the scourge. Gender stereotyping and discrimination may result in not identifying men and boys as victims, leaving them without assistance or protection. Men and boys may face additional obstacles to disclosing experiences of exploitation, particularly sexual exploitation, the experts said. Also, in conflict situations, organ harvesting trafficking is another concern, along with law enforcement's inability to regulate and control armed groups and other traffickers' finances – domestically and across borders. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, Friday said protection services for refugees and migrants making perilous journeys from the Sahel and Horn of Africa towards North Africa and Europe, including survivors of human trafficking, are severely lacking. Its newly released report maps the protection services available to asylum-seekers, refugees, and migrants as they travel along these routes. It also highlights protection gaps in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, and Sudan – notably in shelters, survivor identification and responses to gender-based violence and trafficking.  

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for working together to build a more just and thriving workforce, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind. The UN chief convened a Transforming Education Summit in September that will bring together world leaders, youth and other education actors. "Guided by the United Nations Youth 2030 strategy, I urge everyone to act for youth skills development as a priority, at the Summit and beyond," he said wishing all a happy World Youth Skills Day. Guterres said young people are drivers of change and must be fully engaged in decisions affecting their future. Also read: Around 3 in 4 youth lack skills needed for employment, new report says He highlighted the importance of transforming youth skills for the future of work. "Young people are disproportionately impacted by interlinked global crises, from climate change to conflicts to persistent poverty," said the UN chief. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these fragilities. In 2020 alone, youth employment fell by 39 million, he said. Today, 24 million young people remain at risk of not returning to school. The pandemic also accelerated the transformation of the labour market, adding uncertainty and widening the digital divide. Also read: There're no real democratic societies without press freedom: Guterres "We must ensure the right of young people to effective and inclusive education, training, and lifelong learning. That requires ramping up youth skills development, while investing in Technical Vocational Education and Training, broadband connectivity, and digital skills," he said.

The war in Ukraine is aggravating a triple food, energy and financial crisis across Africa, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. It is a human tragedy which can have "a dramatic impact on economies, in particular, those of developing countries," Guterres said during his recent visit to Senegal's Dakar. The war is driving up global food and fuel prices; senior UN officials are concerned that rising costs will push more people into hunger and could lead to political instability and social unrest in some parts of Africa, where food prices have increased by a third since last year. Before the Russian invasion began in February, the combination of climate change, conflict and the Covid pandemic was already impacting the socio-economic situation in Africa, especially in the Sahel region, which includes Senegal. Guterres said: "We must ensure a steady flow of food and energy in open markets, removing all unnecessary export restrictions," adding that "countries must resist the temptation to hoard and instead release strategic stocks of energy." The UN estimates that a quarter of a billion people could be pushed into extreme poverty this year, caused by the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine. International financial institutions have a key role to play and "must urgently provide debt relief by increasing liquidity and fiscal space," the UN Chief said, "so that governments can avoid default and invest in social safety nets and sustainable development for their people." In March 2022, the UN chief established the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG) set up in response to the crisis provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that the invasion was producing alarming effects on the world economy already battered by Covid and climate change. The GCRG, calls on countries to find creative ways to finance increased humanitarian and development recovery needs worldwide and to give generously and immediately release funds that they have already pledged. Also read: UN head condemns attacks on civilians during Ukraine visit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will travel to Russia and Ukraine next week to meet with the foreign ministers and presidents of these countries. Nearly two months of intense and escalating hostilities in Ukraine continue to have horrific repercussions for civilians and caused a grave humanitarian crisis. Read: Many flights canceled at Amsterdam's airport due to strike Guterres will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Tuesday, where he will also hold talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The UN secretary-general will then travel to Kyiv Thursday, where he will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. In both visits, he aims to talk about "what can be done to bring peace to Ukraine urgently" and help people get to safety, UN Spokesperson Eri Kaneko said at a briefing in New York. To step up efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Guterres had asked to meet the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in separate letters handed to their countries' permanent missions to the UN. Over 5 million people fled Ukraine to seek safety in other countries and another 7.1 million have been internally displaced across the country, according to the intergovernmental organisation.    

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the COP26 in Glasgow.  Bangladesh Awami League shared the photos of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the UN chief and the British Prime Minister on its verified Facebook page.  Photos of British Prime Minister Borish Jonson and UN chief giving elbow bumps with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina separately, as posted by Awami League web team on the verified page of the party, went viral on social media. The UK is hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow that will continue till November 12. 

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has said the UN will continue to stand with Bangladesh and mobilise  international support to collectively address the Rohingya crisis and ask Myanmar to create a congenial  environment for Rohingya repatriation.

The United Nations is commemorating International Migrants Day, on Friday, highlighting their contributions to societies globally, and underlining the need to ensure that they remain central to the recovery from COVID-19.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has encouraged girls and young women to master digital skills saying the world cannot afford to lose their talent.     "What career choice could be more rewarding than mastering the digital skills that will help you to save our planet and its people?" said the UN chief in a message marking the "Girls in ICT Day" being observed on Thursday.    He said girls in ICT Day is all about encouraging girls and young women to take up the exciting potential of a career in information and communications technology.     It is also about urging governments, industry and academia to develop strategies to equip and support girls who want to embark on such a career.    "The unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, much more effectively than any statement I could make, the vital importance of information and communications technology to society," he said.     With billions of people now confined to home, with businesses shuttered, with health services strained to breaking point, digital networks are playing a crucial role in keeping the world working, said the UN chief.     "They are keeping us connected, supporting health workers treating the sick, and enabling researchers who are collaborating to develop a vaccine," he said.   Guterres said digital technologies will be the key to their success and digital molecular analysis is helping teams understand the virus, so they can target its weak points.     "Digital epidemiological modelling is helping us understand the behaviour of the virus, to help us curb its spread. Yet, when women are excluded from such work, we replicate and deepen inequalities and gender stereotypes, we create products that don’t adequately address the needs of half the population, and we further the gender digital divide," he said.   Guterres said digital solutions are going to be central to every major challenge facing generation of girls and young women.