UN reaffirms support for govt’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.
DiCarlo 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 October 10 during the foreign secretary maiden visit there, underscoring Bangladesh’s commitment to multilateralism and its collaborative efforts with the United Nations.
Terming the UN support “crucial” in realising the aspiration of 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 yesterday.
During the meeting, they also discussed Bangladesh’s contribution to UN peace architecture, and the Rohingya crisis.
On UN peace operations, the foreign secretary made a request to the UN through USG to increase 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 at the current conflict situation in Myanmar, which is leading to new influx of Rohingyas inside the territory of Bangladesh.
The foreign secretary recalled the proposal of Chief Adviser Prof Yunus to convene an international conference on the Rohingya crisis and requested the support of the United Nations in that regard.
In response, DiCarlo 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 new Special Envoy of the 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 education and skill development and underscored the need to mobilise necessary financial resources in this regard.