Yunus urges int’l community to enhance support for countries in transition

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has called on the international community to expand financial and technical support for countries in transition, warning that reducing aid or cutting UN budgets would be “counterproductive” at a time of deepening global crises.

Speaking at a UN high-level side event on ‘Social Business, Youth and Technology’ at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, Yunus described the world as standing “at a crossroads”, faced with the interwoven challenges of climate breakdown, widening inequality, and escalating conflicts.

“These crises are not isolated,” he said. “They are intertwined—threads of a fragile tapestry, each pulling at the other, shaping the whole of our existence. The power to mend this tapestry does not lie in the past—it lies in the future we dare to imagine, and in the choices we make here and now.”

Highlighting Bangladesh’s own vulnerabilities, Yunus noted the country is preparing to graduate from least developed country (LDC) status while managing repeated climate shocks, global economic turbulence, and the burden of hosting 1.3 million Rohingya refugees. “In such a context, shrinking official development assistance would only intensify the strain,” he warned. “The world must redouble efforts to expand support and ensure a just transition for nations facing heightened vulnerability.”

Yunus, long recognised as a pioneer of social business, urged a shift away from an economic system “dominated by the relentless pursuit of profit over people”. Instead, he pressed for a new model where businesses serve social and environmental goals as much as financial ones.

“Social business is not a niche idea,” he said. “It is proof that another world is possible—one where commerce serves humanity, where growth includes everyone, and where profit is measured not only in financial returns but in lives improved, communities strengthened, and our planet healed.”

He placed particular emphasis on the role of youth in shaping this new vision. Calling young people “the architects of the future”, Yunus urged them to channel creativity and technological innovation into solving pressing global problems, from climate change to unemployment.

“Unlike previous generations, shaped by outdated systems, today’s youth see what could be, not just what is,” he said. “Dream boldly, but act deliberately. Change doesn’t have to start big.”

Yunus also stressed that emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things—must be deployed responsibly. “The future of technology must be shaped not by ambition alone, but by conscience,” he said. “We need more than technical innovation—we need ethical innovation.”

The Bangladeshi leader outlined his vision of a “three-zero world”: zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment. He urged young people to join “3-Zero Clubs” that commit to living sustainably, minimising waste, and embracing social entrepreneurship.

Closing his address, Yunus called for unity and renewed multilateralism. “If we join hands—harnessing the power of social business, the energy of youth and the potential of technology—we can untangle even the most complex global crises. Let us become the architects of a new wave—a world built on justice, sustainability and hope.”

Meanwhile, several dignitaries, including Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of an event at the UN headquarters in New York, a spokesperson of the CA Office said on Tuesday.

He is scheduled to attend the inaugural session of the 80th UNGA on Tuesday.

On the same day, he is scheduled to meet the DG of WTO, the President of WB, Ms Máxima, Queen of the Netherlands and Kris Licht, CEO, Reckitt Benckiser.

He is scheduled to attend a reception hosted by the President of the United States and Mrs Melania Trump in the evening on Tuesday.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com