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.

Just as a simple lever can move heavy objects, rich nations are hoping another kind of leverage — the financial sort — can help them come up with the money that poorer nations need to cope with climate change. It involves a complex package of grants, loans and private investment, and it's becoming the major currency at annual United Nations climate talks known as COP29. But poor nations worry they’ll get the short end of the lever: not much money and plenty of debt. Half a world away in Brazil, leaders of the 20 most powerful economies issued a statement that among other things gave support to strong financial aid dealing with climate for poor nations and the use of leverage financial mechanisms. That was cheered by climate analysts and advocates. But at the same time, the G20 leaders noticeably avoided repeating the call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, a key win at last year's climate talks. Money is the key issue in Baku, where negotiators are working on a new amount for aid to help developing nations transition to clean energy, adapt to climate change and deal with weather disasters. It’ll replace the current goal of $100 billion annually — a goal set in 2009.   Climate cash could be in the form of loans, grants or private investment Experts put the need closer to $1 trillion, while developing nations have said they'll need $1.3 trillion in climate finance. But negotiators are talking about different types of money as well as amounts. So far rich nations have not quite offered a number for the core of money they could provide. But the European Union is expected to finally do that and it will likely be in the $200 to $300 billion a year range, Linda Kalcher, executive director of the think tank Strategic Perspectives, said Tuesday. It might be even as much as four times the original $100 billion, said Luca Bergamaschi, co-founding director of the Italian ECCO think tank. But there's a big difference between $200 billion and $1.3 trillion. That can be bridged with “the power of leverage," said Avinash Persaud, climate adviser for the Inter-American Development Bank. When a country gives a multilateral development bank like his $1, it could be used with loans and private investment to get as much as $16 in spending for transitioning away from dirty energy, Persaud said. When it comes to spending to adapt to climate change, the bang for the buck, is a bit less, about $6 for every dollar, he said. But when it comes to compensating poor nations already damaged by climate change — such as Caribbean nations devastated by repeated hurricanes — leverage doesn't work because there's no investment and loans. That's where straight-out grants could help, Persaud said. Whatever the form of the finance, Ireland’s environment minister Eamon Ryan said it would be “unforgivable” for developed countries to walk away from negotiations in without making a firm commitment toward developing ones. “We have to make an agreement here,” he said. "We do have to provide the finance, particularly for the developing countries, and to give confidence that they will not be excluded, that they will be center stage.”   For developing nations, the talk of loans brings fear of debt If climate finance comes mostly in the form of loans, except for the damage compensation, it means more debt for nations that are already drowning in it, said Michai Robertson, climate finance negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States. And sometimes the leveraged or mobilized money doesn’t quite appear as promised, he said. “All of these things are just nice ways of saying more debt,” Robertson said. “Are we here to address the climate crisis, which especially small developing states, least developed countries, have basically done nothing to contribute to it? The new goal cannot be a prescription of unsustainable debt.” His organization argues that most of the $1.3 trillion it seeks should be in grants and very low-interest and long-term loans that are easier to pay back. Only about $400 billion should be in leveraged loans, Robertson said. Leverage from loans “will be a critical part of the solution,” said United Nations Environment Programme Director Inger Andersen. But so must grants and so must debt relief, she added. Bolivia's foreign policy director and chair of the Like-Minded Group negotiating bloc Diego Balanza called out developed countries in speech Tuesday, saying they have “squarely failed to provide committed support to developing countries.” “A significant share of loans has adverse implications for the macroeconomic stability of developing countries,” Balanza said. Rohey John, Gambia's environment minister, said the absence of a financial commitment from rich nations suggests “they are not interested in the development of the rest of the mankind.” “Each and every day we wake up to a crisis that will wipe out a whole community or even a whole country, to a crime that we never committed," she said.   Praise and worry about G20 statement The G20's mention of the need for strong climate finance and especially the replenishment of the International Development Association gives a boost to negotiators in Baku, ECCO's Bergamaschi said. “G20 Leaders have sent a clear message to their negotiators at COP29: do not leave Baku without a successful new finance goal,” United Nations climate secretary Simon Stiell said. “This is an essential signal, in a world plagued by debt crises and spiraling climate impacts, wrecking lives, slamming supply chains and fanning inflation in every economy.” But the G20 failed to talk about how much the funds will be for the new goal, said Shepard Zvigadza, from South Africa’s Climate Action Network. “This is a shame,” he said. Analysts and activists said they were also worried because the G20 statement did not repeat the call for a transition away from fossil fuels, a hard-fought concession at last year's climate talks. Veteran climate talks analyst Alden Meyer of the European think tank E3G said the watering down of the G20 statement on fossil fuel transition is because of pressure by Russia and Saudi Arabia. He said it is "just the latest reflection of the Saudi wrecking ball strategy" at climate meetings.

Myanmar’s Rakhine state, home to the Rohingya minority and engulfed in conflict between government forces and a powerful ethnic group, could face an imminent acute famine, the United Nations development agency warned in a new report. The U.N. Development Program said in the report issued Thursday that “a perfect storm is brewing” which has put western Rakhine “on the precipice of an unprecedented disaster.” It pointed to a chain of interlinked developments including restrictions on goods from elsewhere in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh, the absence of income for residents, hyperinflation, significantly reduced food production, and a lack of essential services and social safety net. As a result, UNDP said, “an already highly vulnerable population may be on the brink of collapse in the coming months.” Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered the Rohingya Muslim minority to be “Bengalis” from Bangladesh even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982. In August 2017, attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel triggered a brutal campaign by the military which drove at least 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. The military is accused of mass rape, killings and burning thousands of homes. Since Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, pro-democracy guerillas and ethnic minority armed forces have been attempting to oust the military from power. Read: Head of Myanmar's military government to visit close ally China Last November, the Arakan Army, which is seeking autonomy from Myanmar’s central government, began an offensive against the military in Rakhine and has gained control of more than half of its townships. The Arakan Army, which is the well-armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, is also a member of the armed ethnic group alliance trying to topple the military. The UNDP report said that based on data the agency collected in 2023 and 2024, “Rakhine’s economy has stopped functioning, with critical sectors such as trade, agriculture, and construction nearly at a standstill.” With domestic and international markets no longer accessible because of blockades, UNDP said people’s incomes are collapsing because they can’t export goods, and that agricultural jobs are disappearing for the same reason. In addition, it said, imports of cement have stopped, leading to “an exorbitant price increase” and shutting down the construction industry, a major employer. The report, titled “Rakhine: A Famine in the Making,” said, “Rakhine could face acute famine imminently.” Read more: New sanctions target Myanmar's military suppliers “Predictions indicate that domestic food production will only cover 20% of its needs by March-April 2025,” UNDP said. “Internal rice production is plummeting due to a lack of seeds, fertilizers, severe weather conditions, a steep rise in the number of internally displaced people who can longer engage in cultivation, and escalating conflict,” the U.N. agency said. “This, along with the near-total cessation of internal and external trade, will leave over 2 million people at risk of starvation.” UNDP called for immediate action to allow goods and humanitarian aid into Rakhine, enable unimpeded access for aid workers and ensure their safety, and urgently provide financial resources to enable the agricultural sector to recover. “Without urgent action, 95% of the population will regress into survival mode, left to fend for themselves amid a drastic reduction in domestic production, skyrocketing prices, widespread unemployment, and heightened insecurity,” UNDP warned. “With trade routes closed and severe restrictions on aid, Rakhine risks becoming a fully isolated zone of deep human suffering,” the U.N. agency said.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin had a series of meetings with the UN high officials and highlighted the interim government's priority of recovering stolen assets. He called for the UN’s cooperation in addressing tax evasion and combating illicit financial flows. Regarding Bangladesh’s upcoming graduation from LDC status, the Foreign Secretary stressed the need for continued international support during both the transition and post-graduation phases. Acknowledging the challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to the global economic downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing global conflicts, he sought stronger support from the UN System, including through development cooperation facilitated by the Resident Coordinator’s Office. He also expressed appreciation that the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) will serve as the implementing body for the recent Bangladesh-led UN General Assembly resolution declaring May 6 as Rural Development Day. The Foreign Secretary met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua in the UN Headquarters in New York on October 14. During discussion, he briefed the Under-Secretary-General on the ongoing reform process in Bangladesh currently being undertaken by the interim government, reflecting the aspirations of the “July-August Revolution”. Jashim emphasized the importance of the UN’s technical and policy support in advancing the government’s reform agenda, particularly in enhancing accountability and transparency, building on the five decades of partnership between the UN and Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. USG Junhua appreciated Bangladesh’s current chairmanship in the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly and assured all out support from the Secretariat. Read: FS holds fruitful talks on UN support in transparency and accountability He told the Foreign Secretary that DESA would be happy to assist Bangladesh in the reform process, especially through their tools for public institution capacity building and digital governance. He stated that the LDC graduation should indeed be considered a new starting point, and the graduated countries should continue to benefit from preferential arrangements. Concerning SDG implementation, he underscored the importance of the upcoming Fourth International Conference to be held in 2025 in Spain; during which efforts would be made to reinvigorate the global development assistance, including through innovative financing, ensuring debt sustainability and the reform of the international financial institutions. The Foreign Secretary also met Selwin Charles Hart, UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary reiterated Bangladesh’s call for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement, including ensuring adequate climate finance as promised. Read more: Meeting with FS in NY: UN reaffirms support for Bangladesh's reform initiatives

An Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in northern Lebanon that killed at least 22 people needs to be independently investigated, the United Nations’ human rights office said Tuesday. “We have real concerns with respect to … the laws of war,” Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the U.N.'s human rights office said a day after the strike, as rescue workers searching through the rubble found more bodies and remains. Laurence said the U.N. had received credible reports that a dozen women and children were among the dead. The Israeli military said it “struck a target belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization" and that it would look into reports of civilian deaths. The apartment building hit in the airstrike was in the small village of Aito, in the country’s Christian heartland and far from Hezbollah’s main areas of influence in Lebanon's south and east. The strike was a shock to residents, and it exacerbated fears that Israel would expand its offensive deeper into Lebanon. “I heard a loud noise, like a boom,” said Dany Alwan, who lives next door. “We ran outside, I saw the dust and the smoke and the rubble. There was a body here, another one there. It was a really ugly and painful scene.” The three-story building had been rented out to the Hijazi family, which fled their home in the southern village of Aitaroun, according to Elie Alwan, Dany Alwan's brother and the building's owner. Some 1.2 million people have fled southern and eastern Lebanon, where the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has been concentrated. Read: Israeli strike in northern Lebanon kills at least 21 people As rescue workers rummaged through the debris on Tuesday, they found the body of a child, and later a small leg and other remains that they put together in a white bag. The Lebanese military watched as a bulldozer cleared heaps of twisted steel, destroyed olive trees, and crushed rocks. Hezbollah's acting leader vows to step up strikes against Israel Earlier on Tuesday, the acting leader of Hezbollah said the militant group would fire rockets into more areas of Israel until it ceases its airstrikes and ends its ground invasion of Lebanon. Naim Kassem said Hezbollah is focused on “hurting the enemy,” comments made in a pre-recorded televised speech delivered on the same day the United States said it sent a small team of troops to Israel to support an American-made missile-defense system. Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israel over the past year in support of Hamas' war with Israel in Gaza. Tens of thousands of northern Israelis have been displaced from their homes by those attacks — and Israel has said its war with Hezbollah is aimed at stopping those rockets so families can return home. On Tuesday, Kassem signaled that Hezbollah would ramp up attacks further south in Israel, which it has already done by targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa. Kassem has headed the militant group since Sept. 27, when its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike. Hezbollah began targeting Israel with rockets on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas attack on Israel that left 1,200 dead and 250 as hostages in Gaza. Israel's ensuing war against Hamas has left more than 42,000 people dead in Gaza, according to local health officials. They do not differentiate between fighters and civilians, but have said a little more than half the dead are women and children. Hezbollah has insisted it will continue to target Israel until a cease-fire in Gaza is reached. “We cannot separate Lebanon from Palestine, or Palestine from the world,” Kassem said. Read more: Israeli strike in Beirut kills 9 as troops battle Hezbollah in southern Lebanon Also on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the arrival of U.S. troops in Israel on Monday. The team will operate a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery there to defend against ballistic missile attacks from Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas, and has launched two missile attacks on Israel. “Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel,” Ryder said. Iran has warned U.S. troops would be in harm’s way if they launch another attack. In Lebanon, Israel's bombardment and ground invasion have displaced more than 400,000 children in the past three weeks, according to Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director at UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency.

A top United Nations official said during a visit to Beirut Saturday that he is concerned that Lebanon's ports and airport might be taken out of service, with serious implications for getting food supplies into the county, as Israel continues its offensive against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. “What I have seen and heard today is devastating, but the sense is that this can get much worse still, and that needs to be avoided,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press. He appealed for “all diplomatic efforts possible to try to find a political solution” to the war and for supply lines to remain open. “We have huge concerns and there are many, but one of them is indeed that we need the ports and we need the supply routes to continue to be able to operate,” Skau said. In Gaza, where Israel has been at war with Hamas since the Palestinian militant group launched a deadly incursion into southern Israel a year ago, hunger has skyrocketed as humanitarian organizations have complained of major obstacles to getting food and other supplies into the blockaded enclave. Skau said he believes that Israeli authorities had given “commitments” that in Lebanon, the ports and airport would not be taken out of commission. “But of course, this is a very changing environment. So we don’t take anything for granted,” he said. In recent weeks, Israel has escalated its aerial bombardment and launched a ground invasion in Lebanon. Read: Heavy Israeli bombardment in northern Gaza as UN peacekeepers in Lebanon hit again About 1.2 million people are displaced in Lebanon, according to government estimates, of whom some 200,000 are staying in collective shelters, where the WFP is supplying them with meals. Skau noted that food prices have already increased as a result of the conflict, although Lebanon's sole international airport and its main sea ports are still functioning. The WFP had stocked up enough food to supply 1 million people -- about one-fifth of Lebanon's population -- for up to a month, he said, but now is trying to build up supplies that could feed that number through the end of the year. “We will, of course, be having to restock, and for that, the ports will be critical and other supply lines,” he said. For instance, the agency has been bringing food in from Jordan through Syria into Lebanon by land, he said. Earlier this month, an Israeli strike on the road to the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria cut off access to that crossing. Since the Masnaa crossing was struck, people fleeing Lebanon have continued to cross on foot, while vehicles -- including those bringing supplies for the WFP -- have had to use another crossing in the far north of the country, making the journey more arduous and expensive. Skau appealed for the Masnaa crossing to be reopened. Lebanese General Security, which oversees border crossings, has recorded 320,184 Syrians and 117,727 Lebanese citizens crossing into Syria since Sept. 23, when the major escalation in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon started. Read more: At least 22 killed in airstrikes in central Beirut, with Israel also firing on UN peacekeepers The influx comes at a time when the WFP has reduced its food assistance in Syria as a result of funding shortages. “We’ve gone over the past two years from assisting some 6 million people to around 1.5 (million),” Skau said. “And with that, of course, our capacity has been tightened and now we need to scale up again.”

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo has reaffirmed the United Nations' strong support for the reform initiatives of Bangladesh's interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus. "Had a productive meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin, discussing the country’s transition, regional challenges, and cooperation with UN," she said in a message through X, formerly known as Twitter. The UN USG expressed gratitude for Bangladesh’s generosity towards the Rohingya and reiterated the UN support for its reform efforts. The meeting was held in New York on October 10 during Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin’s maiden visit to New York, underscoring Bangladesh's commitment to multilateralism and its collaborative efforts with the United Nations. Terming the UN support as ‘crucial’ in realising the aspiration of July-August revolution, the foreign secretary thanked DiCarlo for the reaffirmation of support, according to a message received from Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the UN on Friday. During the meeting, they also discussed Bangladesh’s contribution to UN peace architecture, and the protracted Rohingya crisis. On UN peace operations, the foreign secretary made a request to the UN through USG to increase representation of Bangladeshi nationals at the senior policy making levels. On the Rohingya issue, he underlined ‘global attention as well as global action’ to solve the Rohingya crisis. He expressed concerns at the current conflict situation in Myanmar, which is leading to new influx of Rohingyas inside the territory of Bangladesh. Read: Fakhrul wants interim govt to focus on reforms for credible elections Alluding to the possible spill over in the entire region, the foreign secretary urged the UN to play a greater role in resolving the crisis in Myanmar and facilitating the repatriation of the Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar. He also assured Bangladesh’s full cooperation to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General. The foreign secretary recalled the proposal of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to convene an international Conference on the Rohingya crisis, and requested the support of the United Nations in that regard. In response, the Under-Secretary-General appreciated the ongoing cooperation between the interim Government of Bangladesh and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She offered further cooperation to advance the reform initiatives in key areas. The USG commended the role of Bangladesh in UN Peacekeeping. On the Rohingya issue, she expressed hope that new Special Envoy of the Secretray General, Julie Bishop will continue to work with all stakeholders to address this issue comprehensively. Earlier the foreign secretary delivered a statement at the Third Committee of the General Assembly on ‘advancement of women’. In his statement he highlighted the importance of investing in women education and skill development, and underscored the need to mobilize necessary financial resources in this regard. He emphasised Bangladesh government’s initiatives in female education, gender parity, close digital divide, ensure wellbeing and economic empowerment of women to make them self-reliant. Read more: Italy offers support for Bangladesh's police reforms, safe migration The foreign secretary also highlighted Bangladesh's commitment to the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, CEDAW and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda while mentioning Bangladesh’s key role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the adoption of its founding resolution 1325 in 2000. Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith was present at the meeting with the Under-Secretary General.

Bangladesh is likely to witness several visits from the United Nations this year, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk's likely visit this month, officials in Dhaka and New York said. They cited two reasons for the visits: a new interim government in place and Bangladesh's 50 years of UN membership. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, made a phone call to Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in August. Russian Ambassador, Foreign Adviser discuss strengthening ties in energy, trade, and food security During his recent visit to New York, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus sought support from foreign friends for Bangladesh's new journey towards a happy and prosperous future, stressing that they do not want to miss the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh. On September 17, 1974, Bangladesh became a full member of the United Nations. As part of ongoing engagement with the interim government, an advance team of the UN rights body visited Bangladesh from August 22-29 and met with student leaders of the recent protests, as well as a wide range of advisors in the Interim Government, the Chief Justice, senior officers of the police and armed forces, lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders, representatives of political parties, and minority and indigenous communities. Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk received an official invitation from the Chief Adviser to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed from 1 July to 15 August. Steps taken to ensure safe return of Bangladeshis from war-hit Lebanon: MoFA The Office deployed a fact-finding team to Bangladesh, with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analysing root causes and, and making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms. Once Volker Turk visits Bangladesh, he will meet Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, in addition to his meetings with other stakeholders.

U.N. peacekeepers are staying in their positions on Lebanon’s southern border despite Israel’s request to vacate some areas before it launched its ground operation against Hezbollah militants, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said Thursday. Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the commander and liaison officers from the U.N. force, known as UNIFIL, also are in constant contact with their counterparts in the Israeli and Lebanese militaries. He called that key to protecting the U.N.’s more than 10,000 peacekeepers. The U.N. force is “the only channel of communications between the parties,” he told reporters. “The peacekeepers are also working with partners to do what they can to protect the population.” UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. The U.N. expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to deploy along the Israeli border. A U.N. Security Council resolution ending that war demanded that all armed groups — including Hezbollah — be disarmed and that the Lebanese army deploy throughout the country to the Israeli border. After 17 years, neither has happened. Lacroix, who is undersecretary-general for peace operations, said UNIFIL had anticipated “a limited, targeted ground operation” and had thoroughly discussed whether U.N. peacekeepers should stay or not, deciding they should stay for now. Read: US Embassy expresses sadness over attack on 3 Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers in Mali “We’re constantly reviewing the situation” on the ground in terms of the safety and security of the peacekeepers, he said. He added that contingency plans are ready but refused to discuss them. Lacroix also stressed that Israel and Hezbollah have an obligation to protect the U.N. peacekeepers. Israeli ground forces crossed into southern Lebanon early Tuesday, which along with stepped-up airstrikes marked a significant escalation against Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and of the war in the Middle East. The fighting comes as the region braces for Israel’s response to Iran's ballistic missile attack. Hezbollah began firing across the border after Iranian-backed Hamas militants carried out attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and then Israel retaliated with its military offensive in Gaza. Lacroix said that there were a few “issues” after Israel's ground operation in Lebanon began, which he wouldn’t go into, but that the U.N. liaison mechanism with its Israeli and Lebanese counterparts was “effective in addressing those issues.” Read more: 2 UN peacekeepers killed in 6th incident in Mali in 2 weeks Lacroix said UNIFIL at the moment is not carrying out patrols, which it would normally do, but its positions are manned. In some places, the number of peacekeepers has been reduced by about 20%, he said. When Lacroix was asked whether Israeli fire was coming too close to its bases or positions, he replied that one of the added values of the liaison operation is “to prevent and deal with possible incidents that would have the potential of affecting the safety, the security of our peacekeepers.” The liaison officers also are dealing with other activities, including military movements, he said. Lacroix said UNIFIL had been supporting civilian efforts to supply humanitarian assistance to people in southern Lebanon. The peacekeepers are still trying to help and “are playing a role as much as possible,” he said.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said the recent ‘false ‘and ‘fallacious’ Deutsche Welle (DW) documentary titled "Torturers deployed as UN peacekeepers" presents a "misleading portrayal" of Bangladesh Army personnel in UN Peacekeeping Missions. "Misrepresentation and insufficient diligence can lead to eroding the credibility and effectiveness of peacekeeping forces globally," ISPR said on Saturday (May 25, 2024) protesting the report. More so, the Bangladesh Army has a spotless record with no human rights violations while serving under the UN, a distinction shared by only a few countries, it said in a rejoinder to Deutsche Welle (DW) Documentary on UN Peacekeepers. Given these facts, ISPR said, it is crucial for media outlets to adhere to the principles of fair and balanced reporting, especially on issues as vital as international peacekeeping. DW documentary on Peacekeepers: UN says it follows three-step screening process when deploying troops It said Bangladesh Army rigorously follows the UN's stringent selection and vetting protocols to ensure that only the most qualified and thoroughly vetted individuals are deployed. "These measures underscore the Army's commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism in peacekeeping missions," ISPR said. Furthermore, it said, DW did not seek comments from the Bangladesh Army regarding the allegations presented in the documentary. "This lack of balanced reporting raises concerns about the aim and objective of the documentary. It is pretty clear that the documentary was focused on defaming a law enforcing agency of Bangladesh showing irrelevant video footages," ISPR said. "It was totally a biased media projection, which has largely compromised the credibility of the documentary. It has also raised questions about the motive behind it," ISPR added. Bangladesh highlights its contribution to UN Peacekeeping It is crucial to "recognise the significant contributions" of Bangladesh to UN peacekeeping efforts. Bangladeshi peacekeepers have earned a reputation for their dedication, professionalism, and humanitarian approach. A total 131 Bangladesh Army personnel have made supreme sacrifice and 239 sustained injuries while serving under the UN flag, embodying the spirit of selflessness and commitment to global peace.