Dhaka lauds UN role to address Covid-19 challenges

Bangladesh has praised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his leadership in guiding the global efforts to address the challenges of pandemic especially in conflict situations.

"Your appeal has had important salutary effect on many conflict situations, yet, many are not paying heed and some are applying it selectively," Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Rabab Fatima.

In her conversation with the Secretary-General, Ambassador Fatima shared Bangladesh’s contribution to maintenance of international peace and security particularly through peacekeeping, reports UNB.

Bangladesh PR along with PRs of nine other co-initiators (Ecuador, Egypt, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Senegal, Slovenia, and Sweden) of the joint statement of "Support to the Secretary-General’s Appeal for Global Ceasefire" virtually met António Guterres on Monday to officially hand over the statement, which was released on 22 June 2020.

"This joint statement, along with the Security Council Resolution 2532, among others, would strengthen your good offices role for bringing immediate end to hostilities in all conflict situations," said Ambassador Fatima.

The statement, which received the overwhelming endorsement by 172 UN Member States, Non-Member Observer States and Observers, was the strongest yet political support that the Appeal has received so far.

It sends a strong and clear message of solidarity and compassion with those impacted by the hostilities amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said the Bangladesh Mission in the UN on Tuesday. 

In his response, the UN Secretary-General termed the joint statement as ‘one of the best and most important endorsements to his Appeal in the UN’ and thanked all the co-initiators for this.

While referring to some significant and successful impacts of the Appeal, he also admitted that much more remains to be done and implementation remains the key.

Guterres stressed the importance of continued global solidarity and its expansion to other areas.

This sentiment was also shared by the co-initiators.

The appeal has been the high point of Secretary-General’s efforts in garnering political support for pandemic response. Bangladesh was also among the first rank of countries to have endorsed the Appeal once earlier through another platform when it was made on 23 March.