Thank you, Madam President,
On behalf of Bangladesh delegation, I would like convey our sincere appreciation to Ms. Natalia Khanem for her outstanding leadership as the Executive Director of UNFPA and for her presentation updating us on the progress and direction of the organization this morning. It was really inspiring.
Madam President,
2. Population is at the center of all development. We share the view that remarkable progress has been made through the ICPD Programme of Action to reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. This progress would contribute greatly to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Complex humanitarian crisis and adverse impacts of climate change are affecting large number of population across the world mainly in the least developed countries. Resource diversion to humanitarian emergencies from development activities challenging the potentials of LDCs to implement the ICPD, IPoA and SDGs. We want reversal of this trend in order to allow countries to give due attention to their own population and ensuring their welfare.
Madam President,
3. Bangladesh attaches great importance to the agenda of the UNFPA. Despite significant progress made by the LDCs, much remains to be done to implement the ICPD agenda and we support UNFPA’s efforts in that direction. We reiterate that the work of the UNFPA along with the Member States, UN agencies, civil society and other stakeholders is key to protect and advance the ICPD agenda and to ensure its centrality in the implementation of the SDGs.
Madam President,
4. We are concerned that the core resources of the UNDS are declining and work of the organizations like UNFPA is constrained by declining resources. We underline that the universal presence of UNFPA should not be compromised in the face of resource constraints. That should be in its integrated budgeting. Despite downward trend of core resources, we appreciate UNFPA’s effort to diversify its resource base. Bangladesh increased its contributions to UNFPA in recent years. We hope that UNFPA would continue to enjoy its pivotal role in the new generation of UN country team and in the reformed new RC system and the revamped UNDS.
Madam President,
5. UNFPA has been an important development partner for Bangladesh since 1974 and contributed significantly towards our accomplishment in the management of population including providing universal access to reproductive health, family planning services and building capacity to mainstream population program as one of the pillars of our development strategy. We appreciate UNFPA’s particular interest in Bangladesh. The Executive Director’s visit to Bangladesh twice in recent time is an indication of that.
6. We gratefully acknowledge the support being provided by the UNFPA to our government and people along with other UN entities, international and national organization in addressing the humanitarian crisis due to the influx of more than 700000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals from Rakhine state into Bangladesh since August last year. UNFPA’s services in the camps of Cox’s bazar are providing women, youth and male population some respite from their endless sufferings for more than a year now. Apart from providing round the clock services on sexual and reproductive health, several preventive measures have also been initiated to minimize possible gender-based violence in the camps where a large portion of the population refugees are women and young girls. We convey our heartfelt thanks to the UNFPA, the Executive Director Ms. Natalia Khanem and all relevant staff at headquarters and Bangladesh country team for their outstanding services in challenging situations and their solidarity with the people and government of Bangladesh in their endeavor to ease the immense sufferings of the large number of distressed Rohingya population camped in Bangladesh. As mentioned by UNFPA Executive Director herself, she visited the camps with the UNSG during the latter’s vist to Bangladesh in July this year. This was quirte a significant visit to understand the ground realities and enhance UNFPA’s engagement and support to the Rohingya population.
Madam President,
7. UNFPA’s revision of the humanitarian architecture is indeed encouraging. We also appreciate UNFPA’s efforts to revise its strategic plan and adopt its integrated budgeting. All of these should be aigned with the requirements of national governments UNFPA would serve. Building partnership as rightly indicated by the Executive Director holds the key in this regard.
We assure UNFPA of our full cooperation in implementation of its Country programme in Bangladesh, strategic Plan 2018-2021 and to the programs undertaken in the camps at Cox’s bazar.
I thank you Madam President