UNGA
PM reaches Finland route to New York to attend UNGA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Finland on Friday en route to New York to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Ambassador of Bangladesh in Finland (non-resident) Md Nazmul Islam received the prime minister at the Vanta International Airport, Helsinki as she arrived there on a VVIP chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 3:37 pm local time ( 9 am Bangladesh time).
On September 19 (Sunday), Sheikh Hasina will leave Helsinki for New York by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1902) at 3pm (local time). The flight is scheduled to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York at 6pm (local time).
Read: PM flies for Finland Friday morning on her way to UNGA
It is her first foreign trip since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. She is going to join the UNGA for the 18th time as the head of government of Bangladesh and will address the UNGA general debate on September 24.
During the two-week official visit Sheikh Hasina will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate on September 21 and other sideline events in the UN headquarters (UNHQ) on September 20-24. She will also have talks with a number of leaders during her stay in New York. The PM is expected to return home on October 1 next.
Hasina leaves for US on first foreign trip since Covid
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for the US Friday morning to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with a scheduled stopover in Finland.
A VVIP chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the PM took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Finnish capital Helsinki at 9:10 am.
The flight is scheduled to land at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport around 4pm (local time).
This is Hasina's first foreign trip since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. She will attend the UNGA for the 18th time as the head of the government of Bangladesh and will address the general debate on September 24.
Also read: PM flies for Finland Friday morning on her way to UNGA
On September 19 (Sunday), Hasina will leave Helsinki for New York by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1902) at 3pm (local time). The flight is scheduled to land at John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, at 6pm (local time).
She will stay at Hotel Lotte Palace during her stay in New York from September 19 to 25 as part of her official visit to attend the UNGA and a number of high-level events there. She will also hold talks with a number of leaders during her stay in New York. The PM is likely to return home on October 1.
In fact, on September 20 (Monday), the PM will attend a closed-door meeting for a small group of HOSs/HOGs on climate change at the UNHQ at 9am, plant a tree and dedicate a bench at the UN Gardens at 11.30am in honour of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of his birth centenary, and lay a floral wreath at the Peace Memorial on the North Lawn of UNHQ at 11.50am.
On Monday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in two separate bilateral meetings with EU Council President Charles Michel at 12.30pm (local time) and with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at 2.45pm. Besides, she will join a virtual event of Sustainable Development Solution Network at 4pm.
On September 21 (Tuesday), the PM will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate at 9pm, sit in a bilateral meeting with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the afternoon and join Business Roundtable on US-Bangladesh Business Council at 4 pm.
Also read: PM for further modernization of national education framework
On September 22 (Wednesday), Hasina will virtually attend three events. The events are the high-level meeting of the UNGA to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at 9am, White House Global Covid-19 Summit and a high-level event on Rohingya crisis at 3pm.
On September 23 (Thursday), the Bangladesh PM will send her prerecorded statements at two events. These are the Leaders’ Network on ‘Delivering on the UN Common Agenda: Action to Achieve Equality and Inclusion’ to be organised by Swedish Mission to the UN at 8am, and the Food Systems Summit, as part of the decade of action to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, convened by the UNSG at 1pm.
On Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in four separate bilateral meetings with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands at the place of residence, UN Secretary-General António Guterres at 1.30pm, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at 2pm and Vietnam President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc at 2.40pm at the UNHQ.
On September 24 (Friday), the Bangladesh Prime Minister will address the UNGA 76 general debate in the morning, sit in a bilateral meeting with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at UNHQ, and will virtually join a community programme.
Also read: Hasina cancels PMO’s vehicle procurement plan, diverts fund to public healthcare
On September 25 (Saturday), Hasina will depart New York for Washington DC by a Biman flight at 8am. She will stay in Washington DC from 25 to 30 September.
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on 30 September and will return home on October 1 after a short stopover in Finland.
PM flies for Finland Friday morning on her way to UNGA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave for Finland on Friday morning as part of a two-week official visit to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 76) in New York, USA.
It is her first foreign trip since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. She is going to join the UNGA for the 18th time as the head of government of Bangladesh and will address the UNGA general debate on September 24.
Besides, Sheikh Hasina will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate on September 21 and other sideline events in the UN headquarters (UNHQ) on September 20-24. She will also have talks with a number of leaders during her stay in New York. The PM is expected to return home on October 1 next.
The Prime Minister will depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Helsinki, Finland, by a VVIP chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1901) at 9am on Friday. The flight is scheduled to land at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport at 4:00pm (local time) on Friday, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim on Thursday.
On September 19 (Sunday), Sheikh Hasina will leave Helsinki for New York by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1902) at 3pm (local time). The flight is scheduled to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York at 6pm (local time).
She will stay at the Hotel Lotte Palace during her stay in New York from September 19 to 25.
On September 20 (Monday), the PM will attend a closed-door meeting for a small group of HOSs/HOGs on climate change at the UNHQ at 9am, plant a tree and dedicate a bench at the UN Gardens at 11:30am in honour of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of his birth centenary, and lay a floral wreath at the Peace Memorial at the North Lawn of UNHQ at 11:50am.
On Monday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in two separate bilateral meetings with EU Council President Charles Michel at 12:30pm (local time) and with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at 2:45pm at her place of residence. Besides, she will join a virtual event of Sustainable Development Solution Network at 4:00pm.
Read: Vaccine equity, Rohingya, climate change on top of Hasina’s UNGA agenda
On September 21 (Tuesday), the PM will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate at 9:00pm, sit in a bilateral meeting with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the afternoon and join Business Roundtable on US-Bangladesh Business Council at 4:00pm at the place of residence.
On September 22 (Wednesday), Sheikh Hasina will virtually attend three events. The events are the high-level meeting of the UNGA to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at 9:00am, White House Global Covid-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and building back better, and a high level side event on Rohingya crisis: imperatives for a sustainable solution at 3:00pm.
On September 23 (Thursday), the Bangladesh PM will attend two programmes by sending her prerecorded statements. These are the Leaders’ Network on ‘delivering on the UN common agenda: Action to achieve equality and inclusion’ to be organised by Swedish Mission to the UN at 8:00am, and the Food Systems Summit, as part of the decade of action to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, convened by the UNSG at 1:00pm.
On Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in four separate bilateral meetings with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands at the place of residence, UN Secretary-General António Guterres at 1:30pm, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at 2:00pm and Vietnam President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc at 2:40pm at the UNHQ.
On September 24 (Friday), the Bangladesh Prime Minister will address the UNGA 76 general debate in the morning, sit in a bilateral meeting with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at UNHQ, and will virtually join a community programme.
On September 25 (Saturday), Sheikh Hasina will depart New York for Washington DC by a Biman flight at 8:00am. She will stay in Washington DC from 25 to 30 September.
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on 30 September and will return home on October 1 after a stopover in Finland.
UNGA: Hasina to leave for US Friday on her first foreign trip since pandemic
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave here on Friday on a two-week official visit to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and other engagements with a likely stopover in Helsinki, Finland.
As per her schedule, the Prime Minister will leave for New York from Helsinki, Finland on September 19 after her stopover there on September 17-18.
She will stay in New York from September 19-24 to attend the UNGA where she is likely to address on September 24.
Wrapping up her official visit to New York, the Prime Minister will visit Washington DC where she will stay from September 25 to 30.
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on September 30 and will return home on October 1 after a stopover in Finland.
Asked about the PM's likely stopover in Finland, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told UNB that they are working on it.
Read: PM likely to join 76th UNGA in person
Dr Momen will formally brief the media on the Prime Minister’s visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 3m on Thursday.
This is going to be Prime Minister Hasina’s first overseas visit since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in March 2020.
Earlier, she addressed the UNGA for 17 times and this would be her 18 times joining the UNGA.
The Covid-19 pandemic has proved to be the most challenging period the world has seen since the Second World War, said the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday.
Newly sworn in General Assembly President, Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives, opened the new 76th session, noting that his country’s flag is “flying at the highest peak today”.
He spoke of near-universal “collective anxiety” and hopelessness, not all of which is pandemic-related, saying: “The narrative must change” and that the General Assembly “must play a part in this”.
UNGA: No scope for side events this time due to Covid-19
The Ministry Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said there is no scope for any country, as advised by the UN headquarters, to hold any side events during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) next month due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision to hold any event on the sidelines of the UNGA depends on the country concerned and there is no need to take permission from the United Nation, said the MoFA in a media release as it dismissed a media report on this as “misleading”.
The ministry, however, said the concerned country discusses with the concerned authorities for logistic and technical supports if that country wants to hold any event on the sidelines at the UN headquarters.
The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) will open on September 14. The first day of the high-level General Debate will begin September 21.
Read: PM likely to join 76th UNGA in person
The UN has already shared the Covid-19 related guidelines and Bangladesh is trying to hold some side events maintaining health protocols.
Many side events were arranged in the six years when Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen was a Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN which helped brighten Bangladesh’s image in the international arena and protect Bangladesh’s interest, said the ministry.
No permission was required to host such side events at the UN headquarters, it said.
Currently made up of 193 member states, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
Resolution on Myanmar fails to recommend actions on Rohingya repatriation: Dhaka
Bangladesh has expressed “deep disappointment” over the new resolution on Myanmar at the United Nations General Assembly as ‘it has failed to recommend actions” on repatriation of the Rohingyas and adequately reflect on the crisis.
“The resolution that was adopted falls far short of our expectations,” said Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima after adoption of the resolution on the ‘Situation in Myanmar’ at the 75th session of the UNGA.
In an explanation of vote by Bangladesh, she said the resolution failed to recognize in its operative part, the urgent need for creating conditions for the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the displaced minorities of Myanmar, particularly the Rohingyas.
FM's NY Visit: Dhaka to press for early repatriation of Rohingyas
Bangladesh will reiterate its position seeking quick and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas as Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen left here for New York on Sunday morning to attend two important events at the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
One of the events will be on Myanmar's current situation where Bangladesh will reiterate its call to the international community for quick and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas, said Dr Momen.
"Our priority is repatriation. They (Rohingyas) must be repatriated. We want to make Rohingya repatriation a condition," he said, mentioning that much has been talked about democracy and the overall situation in Myanmar.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and Bhasan Char.
Also read: Rohingya repatriation looks uncertain: Hasina tells UNGA President
No Rohingya was repatriated over the last four years amid the "absence of conducive environment" in Rakhine State and lack of confidence among the Rohingyas, officials said.
Dr Momen said President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir invited him during his recent visit to Bangladesh.
"There’ll be very good discussion. Many will join it," said the Foreign Minister.
76th UNGA session: Bangladesh elected vice-president
Bangladesh has been elected vice-president of the upcoming 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from the Asia-Pacific Region for a one-year term starting September this year.
The election was held at the UNGA Monday where Bangladesh was elected unanimously.
Along with Bangladesh, Kuwait, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Philippines were also elected as vice-presidents from the Asia-Pacific.
READ: 76th UNGA session: Maldives elected president, Bangladesh VP
Bangladesh last served as vice-president during the 71st session of the UNGA in 2016-2017.
After the election, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima said: "Bangladesh is a flag bearer of multilateralism and believes in the leadership of the UN in addressing the complex challenges facing the current world."
"The country maintains principled and constructive position in various global discourses in the field of development, peace and security and human rights. Today's election demonstrates the trust reposed by the international community in Bangladesh at the multilateral fora" she added.
Meanwhile, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected president of the same session of the UNGA.
The 76th session of the UN general assembly will be of particular significance as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic and its multidimensional impacts, said the Bangladesh Mission at the UN Tuesday.
READ: ‘Great disservice to your office’: India stings UNGA Prez for his Kashmir remark
The UNGA consists of all the 193 member states and serves as the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the UN for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. The UN organ meets under its president in annual sessions, which generally starts from September at headquarters in New York.
76th UNGA session: Maldives elected president, Bangladesh VP
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected president of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Monday.
Also, Bangladesh was elected vice-president of the same session from the Asia-Pacific region. Twenty-one vice-presidents are elected for each session of the UNGA according to a pattern that ensures equitable geographical representation.
Rohingyas rights to return, citizenship must be respected: UNGA President
President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir has said the basic rights, including to citizenship, and the creation of conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of all Rohingyas must be respected.
“The safety and security of the Rohingya and other minorities must be secured,” he said while delivering his keynote speech at the Sixth Lecture of the Bangabandhu Lecture Series at Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also spoke at the programme titled “Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and the United Nations.”
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, were present.
Bozkir said he firmly believes they cannot speak on these issues from afar. “The United Nations must continue to reach out to the people we serve.”
Turning to the issue of human rights and humanitarian action, he commended Bangladesh for offering shelter and protection to the Rohingya fleeing persecution and unspeakable crimes in Rakhine State.
READ: Memory centre launched to preserve heritage of Rohingyas
Bozkir mentioned that Bangladesh stepped up at a moment of crisis to uphold the principles of the United Nations when most vulnerable neighbours endured their darkest hour.
“Please allow me, on behalf of the United Nations General Assembly, to thank you. History will define your actions as heroic,” he said.
Bozkir said he remains “deeply concerned” about the humanitarian implications of the military’s recent actions in Myanmar. “I join calls for an immediate end to the violence.”
A year ago, he said, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to do everything possible to prevent a genocide against the Rohingya.
“This order retains its urgency and should not be forgotten as we face new challenges relating to the coup and its violent aftermath,” Bozkir said.
READ: Rohingya repatriation looks uncertain: Hasina tells UNGA President
Earlier at the joint media briefing, the UNGA President said most probably they will have a meeting on Myanmar where they will try to find a consensus.
Personally, he said, he is completely against any military coup in the world.