Madame Chair,
I congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election. You can count on my delegation’s full support to your work.
Madame Chair,
Bangladesh aligns itself with the statement of NAM.
At the outset, I thank all the briefers for their insightful briefing to this Committee under agenda items 50-63.
Allow me to briefly touch upon a few agenda items in our national capacity.
Madame Chair,
We commend the work of the University for Peace particularly for ensuring continuation of its activities amidst pandemic, and welcome the introduction of three new courses this year. We also deeply appreciate its contribution in promoting the culture of peace which is a flagship agenda for Bangladesh.
Madame Chair,
I express my sincere appreciation to the Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) for successfully convening its sixty-fourth session in 2021, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. We welcome the implementation plan of “Space-2030” Agenda.
Bangladesh has launched its first communications satellite Bangabandhu-I and preparing to launch the next one soon. We believe in the safe, secure and sustainable use of outer space. Our membership to COPUOS will enable us to work to that end.
Madame Chair,
My delegation deeply appreciates the invaluable work done by UNRWA during this trying pandemic situation, despite the adverse impact on the funding and mobility of UNRWA, which hindered the delivery of essential services to the Palestinian people. The continued aggression by the Israeli occupation forces has further deteriorated the overall situation.
I reiterate Bangladesh’s strong support to the work of UNRWA and would like to mention that Bangladesh will continue its modest support to the UNRWA fund. We urge the international community to come up with sustainable and predictable funding to enable UNRWA to continue its critical work for the Palestinian refugees.
Madame Chair,
We express our deep concern that nothing has changed despite decades of efforts for ensuring the rights of the Palestinian people. Rather, the situation has deteriorated in the pandemic, and due to the recent escalation of violence. The blockade of Gaza that has entered into its fifteenth year remains a major concern. The Special Committee’s report has rightly indicated that the failure to ensure accountability of the Israeli Occupying Power for their aggression and illegal activities has created further ground for fresh human rights violation.
The report of the Secretary-General has also reported on the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
I would like to reiterate Bangladesh’s steadfast support for the establishment of an independent, viable, contiguous, and sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, under a two-state solution on the basis of pre-1967 borders.
Madame Chair,
We are aware that the pandemic posed new challenges for UN peacekeeping operations including in rotation of personnel. However, thanks to timely measures taken and for the integrated approach of all concerned departments of the UN, disruptions were minimized.
As the leading TPCC, Bangladesh will remain engaged to overcome the existing and new challenges especially those affecting the safety and security of the peacekeepers. Bangladesh will also continue its active engagement in the C-34.
We welcome the Strategy for the digital transformation of UN peacekeeping. We agree that the successful implementation of the Strategy will ensure innovative, data-driven, and technology-enabled peacekeeping.
I also take this opportunity to inform that in line with our commitment to the environmental management in the field, we will install a 10 KWP capacity solar panel in South Sudan, as a token gift on the occasion of the twin celebration of birth centenary of Father of the Nation of Bangladesh and golden jubilee of our independence. We thank the UN-DOS for its support in this regard. We look forward to further collaboration to facilitate future transition to renewable sources of energy in the field.
As an ardent supporter and advocate of WPS, Bangladesh will continue to work for the effective implementation of the WPS agenda. In this regard, I reiterate Bangladesh’s commitment to achieve the target set by the United Nations in order to increase the number and role of women in the Peacekeeping operations.
We look forward to the upcoming UN peacekeeping ministerial and expect tangible and concrete pledges from the participating States to increase the overall performance of the UN peacekeeping operations.
Madame Chair,
Special Political Missions (SPMs) remain at the core of the work of United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. The thematic issues addressed in the Secretary-General’s report – women peace and security, promoting regional approaches to peace and security, and peacebuilding and sustaining peace- are crucial for the success of SPMs. We appreciate the continued work of the SPMs despite many challenges, including the pandemic. We acknowledge the contribution of DOS and DPPA to support the SPMs.
We take note of the efforts and work of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar as mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report. As her tenure is coming to an end soon, we look forward to the appointment of a new Special Envoy and hope that the new envoy will build on the work done by his/her predecessor to ensure safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Madame Chair,
My delegation appreciates the excellent job done by the Department of Global Communications (DGC) in the last one year, particularly its Verified Campaign to counter misinformation related to COVID-19.
[We will request DGC to come up with more such targeted information materials related important events such as COP26 or LDC 5 conference including local languages]
We also appreciate the work of the UNIC around the globe including its work to promote multilingualism, and call for strengthening the capacity of UNIC.
Madame Chair,
We have entered into Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2021-2030). However, there are still 17 non-self-governing territories around the world. The 1960 Declaration of Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries remains unfulfilled.
We will continue to support the work of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24). We also recall the responsibilities of the administering powers under the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions for promoting the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the people of the non-self-governing territories. The UN must continue to work for the advancement of the people of these territories.
[In this context, we highlight the need for education and training assistance for the students of non-self-governing territories].
Madame Chair,
My delegation will support your efforts for a productive outcome to the work of this important Committee.
I thank you.