Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the global community to provide visionary leadership and for sincere commitment to achieve common goals for sustenance of the world, recognising the need for debate on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and negotiations on a long-term climate change framework beyond 2020. “At the moment, this august Forum is faced with two exercises, which are now approaching a crucial stage. They are the debate on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and the negotiations on a long-term climate change framework beyond 2020,” she said while addressing the ‘Leaders Dialogue: High Level Political Forum-From Vision to Action’ held at the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Level-2, Conference Building at the United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday. The PM reminded that the Rio plus 20 gave the mandate for the establishment of such Forum to build on the “strengths, experiences, resources and inclusive participation modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development.” She stressed that the Forum must recognise the two issues — the debate on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the negotiations on a long-term climate change framework beyond 2020 — and thus providing visionary leadership and sincere commitment for achieving common goals for the sustenance of the world. Mentioning that sustainable development in Bangladesh is imperative for the nation’s survival, particularly due to the climate change, Hasina said as a frontline state vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh is in the forefront of climate discourse. “A major challenge of climate change for Bangladesh is global warming. An increase of one degree Celsius in temperature would result in a meter rise in sea level submerging a fifth of its land mass.” She said climate change would create over 30 million ‘Climate Migrants’ causing turmoil in a country already densely populated. “We are obliged to give emphasis on the three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental – with adaptation and mitigation programs,” The PM continued: “Our deep concerns of the challenges that we face have compelled us to remain active in the Open Working Group for SDGs. It also motivated us to submit to the United Nations a set of nationally agreed targets for the Post-2015 Development Agenda,” The premier said the Forum would also need to recognise the special needs of the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS in realising sustainable development goals. Most countries in these groups are lagging behind in attaining the various MDGs. She said Bangladesh has made notable success in some MDGs due to her government’s efficient use of available resources, local leadership, indigenous capabilities and innovations. “Our experience has been that expectations as well as commitments are equally important for sustainable development,” That is why Hasina said the pledged 0.7 percent of GNP as ODA and 0.2 percent of GNP as ODA for the LDCs by the developed countries as well as the transfer of technologies to the LDCs, and the other deprived groups, are so important. Mentioning that the rapid pace of scientific and technological advancement is bringing dramatic socio-economic progress within states, she said that they are also drawing states closer and making world small, with its accompanying challenges. The PM said that it is now at a stage when its future depends on the decisions to be made. “The abundance of natural and technological resources at our disposal today, however, offers the Forum the opportunity to make right choices in the face of the new challenges of our time,” “Our decisions must be aimed at ensuring the welfare of each and every human being and encompass all living species to have a sustainable world – a world that we would like to leave to our children and to the future generations,” she said.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 03:43:20 +0000
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