UN general assembly: Yunus to draw his vision of an inclusive nation
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will present at the 79th UN General Assembly the interim government’s vision of building a democratic and inclusive Bangladesh where human rights will be upheld.Prof Yunus is to leave for New York early today for his first trip abroad as the chief adviser.
The Nobel laureate will have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden.
Prof Yunus will also address the General Debate of the UNGA on September 27 the theme of which will be “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”
On the sideline, he is likely to hold bilateral meetings with the Italian president, Kuwait crown prince, and prime ministers of the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Nepal.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, president of the European Union, UN secretary general, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Bank president, and USAID administrator will call on Yunus there.
Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, who left for New York early Sunday, told reporters on Saturday that the chief adviser would make a presentation at the UNGA on how the interim government was formed and the current reform initiatives.
Bangladesh will host a high-level reception on September 24, marking the 50th anniversary of its UN membership.
“This year, the UNGA is very significant for Bangladesh. We will present our position before the global community and seek support,” Touhid said.
Bangladesh will attend a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis.
The chief adviser would highlight Bangladesh’s strong stance on international peacekeeping, climate change, global conflicts, Rohingya crisis, challenges faced by developing countries in achieving SDGs, preventing illicit flow of resources, and safeguarding migrant rights.
The chief adviser’s meeting with President Biden will be very important for Bangladesh.
Touhid is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in what will be the interim government’s first high-level formal engagement with India.
Dhaka wants to remove any tension that may have developed after the fall of Awami League government and advance the relations based on mutual respect and fairness.
Touhid will also attend the foreign minister-level meetings of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Commonwealth, LDC, Non-Alignment Movement.
It is expected that Chief Adviser’s trip ends on September 27.