FM calls for broader cooperation to make sustainable recovery from global crises

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said that regional and international cooperation can contribute to building a globally fortified digital and financial structure which is crucial in combating the major threats against humanity through sustainable recovery.

"A fortified digital infrastructure for sharing transparent and correct information at the national, regional and global level would help in augmenting the country and region-specific information tools for better policy devising," he said while addressing at a high-level conference on Belt and Road Cooperation.  

The foreign minister also insisted on a globally harmonised structure of financial infrastructure for the availability, access and distribution of necessary finance in order to make recovery from any crisis.  

The conference, titled "Promoting Cooperation on Combatting the Pandemic for Sustainable Recovery", was convened by State Councillor and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi on 23 June.

Dr AK Abdul Momen said that Bangladesh believes the Covid-19 vaccines should be declared as a global public good.

He said, "The impact of the ravaging global pandemic has been severe on the least developed and developing countries who happen to be the worst victims of climate change."

Praising China and Covax initiative for their role in vaccine availability across the world he said, "We need a non-linear, big data-driven, and prioritised supply chain systems to ensure availability, access, and affordability of vaccines to build back better and stronger socio-economically."

The minister thus showed his willingness to work with the BRI partners to develop sustainable infrastructures for the benefit of the peoples in Asia-Pacific, which according to him will play a critical role in this regard.

In addition to that, Momen pointed out the importance of ensuring climate resilient recovery from the pandemic.

He said, "Bangladesh is working towards a climate-resilient recovery through the Chairmanship of the 48-member Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and V20 that aims to benefit all the member states".

At the conference, the five proposals set forward by the foreign minister are listed below.

1. Rapid information sharing nationally and globally through digital means e.g. live data, in a time-sensitive manner;

2. Taking globally united and coordinated efforts to combat against this common enemy;

3. Stronger and concerted advocacy with the vaccine producing states to strengthen Covax by WHO, while ensuring 'free to choose'; and

4. To ensure that no one is left behind, to declare the Covid-19 vaccines as a global public good, and to implement its distribution through strong international cooperation.

5. The countries like Bangladesh that have the capability of producing vaccines should be allowed and be supported in producing vaccines.