Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will deliver his maiden address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where climate change will feature prominently, State Minister for Foreign Af-fairs Shama Obaed Islam said yesterday.
She said Bangladesh would also use major international platforms, including the UN Climate Change Conference COP31 in November, to promote climate justice and highlight the environmen-tal benefits of jute products.
Shama made the remarks while addressing a discussion titled “Pursuing Climate Justice Through Climate Diplomacy” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital.
She said the government has, for the first time, established a separate climate change wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen Bangladesh’s climate diplomacy and coordinate its inter-national engagement on the issue.
“We are working with the Ministry of Environment on climate change issues,” she said.
The state minister said the prime minister’s UNGA speech would reflect the government’s com-mitment to addressing climate change and present Bangladesh’s position and priorities before the international community.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. He is expected to remain in the United States until Sep-tember 26 and address the Assembly on September 24.
The prime minister is also expected to attend COP31 in November, she said.
Shama said women and children remain among the worst affected by natural disasters and other consequences of climate change, stressing the need to place their vulnerabilities and protection needs prominently in global climate discussions.
“We will tell the international community what should be done for them. We will also highlight the benefits of jute products in the context of climate change,” she said.
She said Bangladesh’s traditional and environment-friendly jute products could play a significant role in reducing dependence on plastic and other polluting materials.
The state minister also referred to the government’s tree-planting and canal-digging programs, saying such initiatives would contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change and strength-ening environmental resilience.
The discussion focused on how Bangladesh can pursue climate justice more effectively through climate diplomacy at the United Nations and other global forums.
The program was organized by Brighters, CPRD and Waterkeepers Bangladesh, with several other organizations joining as co-organizers, as part of broader engagements surrounding the 81st ses-sion of the UN General Assembly.
