Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has been appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres as member of the Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste. The appointment was made in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Zero Waste (77/161) adopted on 22 December 2022. In a letter addressed to Professor Yunus, the UN Secretary General said, "As a board member, I trust that I can count on your knowledge, experience, and expertise to promote zero-waste initiatives." and that" The Board has an important role to play in supporting zero-waste initiatives in the context of sustainable development. " Given that the concept of “zero waste” is gaining attention worldwide as a sustainable solution to reduce waste, redesign material use and production, promote a circular economy and inform consumer choices, the Secretary General expects that  the multi-partner and multidisciplinary, regionally and gender balanced Board will work to publicize best practices and success stories and raise awareness to promote local and national zero-waste initiatives. Read More: Why advertisement for Dr Yunus using 40 names: PM questions The Advisory Board will consist of 13 eminent persons, including Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of Türkiye (Serving as Chairperson), Jose Manuel Moller, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Algramo, Nobel Laureate Professor  Muhammad Yunus, Co-founder and Chairman, Yunus Environment Hub, Carlos Silva Filho, President International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Laura Reyes, Directora Ejecutiva Cempre – Economía circular, Lara van Druten, Chief Executive Officer The Waste Transformers, and Professor Saleem Ali, Professor, Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, USA. The advisory board will prioritize publicizing best practices and success stories, through various means including reports, social media, and website articles, to raise awareness and disseminate relevant information on a regular basis, and especially during the global celebration of the International Day on Zero Waste, on 30 March of every year. and promoting local and national zero-waste initiatives, through advocacy and technical reviews of zero. The UN Secretary General announced the advisory board on eminent persons on March 30, 2023, the first International Day of Zero Waste, said a media release on Sunday. As convenor of the Advisory Board, the Secretary General looks forward to to undertake with fellow Board Members to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with support also of  the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Read more: World leaders' open letter on Yunus is an advertisement, not statement: Hasan Mahmud The board is expected to meet in September 2023 in New York City together with the UN Secretary General.

Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), has been made a member of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Secretary-General of the United Nations has invited Dr Fahmida to join as a Member of the High-level Advisory Board on Productive Capacities Index (PCI) of UNCTAD. UNCTAD launched PCI as a practical tool which will help member states to monitor and benchmark their progress and achievements in building new and enhancing existing productive capacities over time, and their potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). READ: Budget implementation failure lack of available data: CPD The PCI Advisory Board will advise UNCTAD on its research and policy-oriented agenda related to productive capacities. UNCTAD would include, among others, the expansion of policy and institutional frameworks, further development and refinement of the methods and international standards for the measurement of productive capacities. READ: Businesses in Bangladesh face challenges of inefficient administration, funding shortage and corruption: CPD study The Advisory Board on PCI will work in broad collaboration with the academia, policy makers, statisticians and experts working on related programs and endeavors.