PM expects to intensify climate campaign: FM

Industry Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s presence inperson in UN General Assembly (UNGA) is expected to intensify the climatechange campaign alongside giving momentum to demands for equitable access toCOVID-19 vaccines.
“She has come to New York in person to attend the UNGA for people’swelfare. Issues like the Covid-19, climate change and food security are meantfor peoples’ welfare,” foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told a mediabriefing here.
He added: “The Prime Minister’s in person presence in the UNGA will give amomentum to global campaigns on those issues.”
The minister said food security was another major issue in Bangladeshagenda for the 76th UNGA general debate when the premier was expected to puton her efforts to engage international community including the UN to act inaddressing the matter.
Sheikh Hasina arrived in New York on September 19 and is scheduled toaddress the session on September 24 while by now she joined a closed-doormeeting of 30 heads of government on climate change hosted jointly by BritishPrime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary General and Antonio Guterres.
Momen said 2021 is a great year for the climate issue as it saw the UnitedStates returning to the Paris Agreement and is set to witness the COP 26 in
Scotland in November next which was likely “give some good results regardingclimate change issues”.
Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen, Bangladesh’s permanent representativeto the UN Rabab Fatima and Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karimwere present at the briefing at Lotte New York Palace hotel on Monday (NewYork local time).
Momen said Sheikh Hasina earned her status as a brave leader on the worldstage as she continued to campaign with her strong voice to establish Covid-19 vaccine as a public goods.
He added that the Bangladesh premier travelled to New York in her firstofficial engagement outside Bangladesh in the past 19 months defying risks of
coronavirus pandemic as Dhaka believed her presence in high level events andmeetings with world leaders will ensure welfare of the people.
Momen said during the period she, however, joined 1,500 internationalmeetings using virtual platforms, staying indoors due to the pandemic.
The Prime Minister is campaigning for a UN declaration of Covid-19 vaccineas a global public goods since production of the vaccines to bring everyoneacross the globe under the inoculation coverage.
Momen echoed her saying, “each country should get the vaccine without anydiscrimination” while the vaccine availability was yet to be ensured tilldate.
He said a high level event will be held on the issue of Rohingyarepatriation at the UN with participation of all stakeholders like SaudiArabia, Turkey, UK, Indonesia, ASEAN, Zambia, OIC, and Bangladesh.