Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has highlighted the importance of enhanced funds for climate change mitigation and adaptation. During his meeting with President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, Momen also mentioned that the pledge of providing USD 100 billion funds per year should be materialized at the earliest.  The president of the UNGA expressed his support on this issue. Regarding the Rohingya issue, the foreign minister highlighted steps taken by the Bangladesh government on various issues including Covid-19 management and providing education to Rohingya children in their own language. Momen also conveyed his dissatisfaction as not a single Rohingya has been repatriated to Myanmar yet.  In response, the UNGA president commended Bangladesh’s role in providing shelter and humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas.  He also said that the crisis is unacceptable, according to the Bangladesh Mission in New York. Csaba Kőrösi applauded Bangladesh’s remarkable leadership, productive engagement, and significant contribution in recent times to various United Nations endeavours.  At the outset of the meeting, Momen presented two proposals.  Also read: FM urges Palestinian and Jordanian students to highlight development stories of Bangladesh These are, to organize a high-level event on ‘Review of the implementation of SDGs’ and to take initiative to create a forum of the finance, foreign and development ministers of developing countries under South-South Cooperation. The foreign minister expressed concern on the funding gaps in the implementation of SDG, particularly in view of the Covid -19 pandemic.  The proposed high-level event will bring an opportunity to review the progress made towards implementing SDGs and the way forward to meet the funding gaps, the FM added.  The foreign minister also mentioned that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has been able to maintain a satisfactory GDP growth even amidst the pandemic.  Momen invited the UNGA president to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time. Meeting with Under Secretary General of UN Peace Operations During a meeting with the Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said that Bangladesh has always played a leading role in the United Nations Peace Operations and will continue to do this.  He mentioned that Bangladesh is ready to provide Quick Reaction Force (QRF), Base Defense Contingent, Infantry Contingent, and Police Contingent in the future. Besides, the foreign minister also called for appointing senior military and civilian officers at the leading level, especially force commanders.  Momen requested to use Bangladesh’s expertise, experience, and best practices in building sustainable peace in countries in conflict.  Momen also reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to increase the number of women peacekeepers.  He invited the USG to visit Bangladesh particularly to join the upcoming international seminar on women peace and security and the 26th Annual conference of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres(IAPTC) Lacroix praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their dutifulness, responsibility, and professional skills in the UN Peace Operations.  He thanked Bangladesh for the recent deployment of the Infantry Battalion from Bangladesh to Abeyi, Sudan, Armored Helicopters and Quick Reaction Force contingents in Mali, Hospital Units in Central Africa, and deployment of Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) contingents in Congo.  Lacroix expressed the hope that Bangladesh will continue to contribute to the peacekeeping operations of the United Nations, including women peacekeepers.

Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin has pointed out that climate change is one of the biggest challenges to Bangladesh becoming the 25th largest economically prosperous country in the world by 2050. "It is said that Bangladesh's economy is more at risk to climate change than any country," he said at the knowledge sharing workshop of the ICBAAR project at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday. He said that to sustain the economic growth, the government is emphasising climate change mitigation in its policies. "Therefore, in the National Adaptation Action Plan (NAPA) and the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCAP), participation of local communities in climate change mitigation has been considered paramount." He said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has taken initiatives for green budget for all ministries. Also read: 'No time to waste': A clarion call for action against climate change UNDP initiated integrating community-based Adaptation into Afforestation and Reforestation Program (ICBAAR) in 2017 to increase species diversity in the coastal forest, which resulted in enhanced socio-economic benefits to local communities from the forests. It was supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and implemented through the Bangladesh Forest Department in collaboration with seven ministries and departments of government, with the financial support from Global Environment Facility (GEF) For the last four years, the project has been providing climate-resilient, innovative and ecosystem-based diversified livelihood support to 8,600 coastal, poor and forest-dependent households to adapt to climate change, said UNDP.  The project makes a conscious effort to empower women and their involvement in advancing resilience in coastal areas, of which over 52 percent are women. Also read: Swedish minister happy with Bangladesh’s use of climate change adaptation support "ICBAAR activities have piqued the interest of the coastal communities, and many are adapting to innovative livelihood options introduced by the project. I hope these activities are rolled out to other coastal areas of Bangladesh for overall strengthening of the vulnerable population," the minister said. Appreciating the project interventions, Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar said, "I believe the Project learnings, best practices and knowledge products can be included in future Coastal Climate Change planning, which will make today's effort more fruitful." "Adopting a green, clean production agenda will be imperative if Bangladesh wants to meet export-led growth ambition in the post-LDC graduation period," said UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee. "This is the forests that protect us from cyclones and climate impacts. Now it is our moral responsibilities to protect them," he added. Also read: Global Youth Climate Summit 2021 urges pressing actions to combat climate change "ICBAAR was successful in building key strategic partnerships, cooperating with relevant institutions, and building linkages with other projects. The project adopted co-management approach and acted as a platform of collaboration for multiple government, non-government organisations and individuals, which represents an excellent recipe for future replication on other projects or to other areas." "We must seize the opportunity to properly utilise the enormous project learnings generated through concerted efforts of various sectors," the UNDP RR said. The workshop was chaired by the ministry’s Secretary Ziaul Hasan while Chief Conservator of Forest Amir Hossain Chowdhury was the special guest. UNDP's Program Specialist Arif M Faisal and ICBAAR Project Manager Dr Muhammed Muzammel Hoque gave keynote presentations.