Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to gear up the global vaccination drive and synergize sustainable and inclusive recovery as the new variant of Covid-19, ‘Omicron’, posed new challenges. “The spread of Omicron variant underlines this urgency,” he said in a video message on the occasion of the two-day World Peace Conference that began in Dhaka on Saturday, noting that cooperation and elevated political will is critical. Now it is the second year that Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause immense sufferings with huge economic losses while reports suggest Omicron has been found in close to 40 countries. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the world should not panic about the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 but it should prepare. Speaking at a conference on Friday, top WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the situation now was very different to a year ago. In his video message played during the inaugural session of the conference, the former UN chief highlighted the great importance of coming together to holistically advance peace through social inclusion during the period of great change. Read:India reports first two Covid cases of Omicron variant “I believe we’ve invaluable opportunities to change the world for the better, but to do this we need to work together through a driving commitment to peace, sustainability, inclusion, the power of partnership and multilateral cooperation,” Ban said. He said the Covid-19 pandemic amplified the inequalities and the ongoing recovery will be prolonged. “We need to ensure equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine and fight against vaccine inequity. This is the most pressing task ahead of us.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 'Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan' was highly praised as a transformational nature-based investment and socio-economic growth concept at Chatham House.

In an open letter - A Time for Renewal: Calling for a Strengthened Multilateral System - released Friday, 48 former UN and government officials from around the world expect the 75th anniversary of the 193-nation body to lead to "a stronger, more accountable, inclusive multilateral system." According to the letter obtained by Xinhua, the leaders said "the institutional framework of global governance, with the United Nations at its core, must do more to provide the guidance, leadership an

Former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon arrived here on Friday night on a brief visit, the second visit to Bangladesh this year, after leaving the United Nations.

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to arrive here on Friday on a brief visit which will be his second visit to Bangladesh this year after leaving the United Nations.