Meeting with FS in NY: UN reaffirms support for Bangladesh's reform initiatives

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo has reaffirmed the United Nations' strong support for the reform initiatives of Bangladesh's interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus.

"Had a productive meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin, discussing the country's transition, regional challenges, and cooperation with UN," she said in a message through X, formerly known as Twitter.

The UN USG expressed gratitude for Bangladesh's generosity towards the Rohingya and reiterated the UN support for its reform efforts.

The meeting was held in New York on 10 October during Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin's maiden visit to New York, underscoring Bangladesh's commitment to multilateralism and its collaborative efforts with the United Nations.

Terming the UN support as 'crucial' in realising the aspiration of the July-August revolution, the foreign secretary thanked DiCarlo for the reaffirmation of support, according to a message received from Bangladesh's Permanent Mission to the UN on Friday.

During the meeting, they also discussed Bangladesh's contribution to UN peacekeeping and the protracted Rohingya crisis.

On UN peace operations, the foreign secretary made a request to the UN through USG to increase the representation of Bangladeshi nationals at the senior policy-making levels.

On the Rohingya issue, he underlined 'global attention as well as global action' to solve the Rohingya crisis.

He expressed concerns about the current conflict situation in Myanmar, which is leading to the new influx of Rohingyas inside the territory of Bangladesh.

Alluding to the possible spillover in the entire region, the foreign secretary urged the UN to play a greater role in resolving the crisis in Myanmar and facilitating the repatriation of the Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

He also assured Bangladesh's full cooperation to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General.

The foreign secretary recalled the proposal of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to convene an international conference on the Rohingya crisis and requested the support of the United Nations in that regard.

In response, the Under-Secretary-General appreciated the ongoing cooperation between the interim Government of Bangladesh and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

She offered further cooperation to advance the reform initiatives in key areas.

The USG commended the role of Bangladesh in UN Peacekeeping. On the Rohingya issue, she expressed hope that the new Special Envoy of Secretary General Julie Bishop will continue to work with all stakeholders to address this issue comprehensively.

Earlier the foreign secretary delivered a statement at the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 'advancement of women'.

In his statement, he highlighted the importance of investing in women's education and skill development and underscored the need to mobilize necessary financial resources in this regard.

He emphasised the Bangladesh government's initiatives in female education, gender parity, closing the digital divide, ensure the well-being and economic empowerment of women to make them self-reliant.

The foreign secretary also highlighted Bangladesh's commitment to the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, CEDAW and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda while mentioning Bangladesh's key role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the adoption of its founding resolution 1325 in 2000.

Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith was present at the meeting with the under-secretary general.