Statement of H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations at the UNDP segment of Annual Session 2022, 08 June 2022

I thank you, Madam President.

We align ourselves with the statement delivered by Pakistan on behalf of G-77 and China.

I also thank the UNDP Administrator for his comprehensive briefing especially for highlighting the progress made with data and results on the ground.

 

Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

We are battling the multidimensional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Bangladesh, UNDP is an important partner in our development efforts and we will continue on your support as we grapple with the war in Ukraine, along with other protracted conflicts globally.

Against this backdrop, we appreciate that the UNDP has set a higher ambition for its current Strategic Plan.

Impact, however, will depend on delivery on the ground. UNDP will need to adapt to new challenges and crises while helping the programme countries regain the lost ground of SDGs implementation.

Mr. Administrator allow me to share three specific thoughts in this regard:

First, as one of the most climate vulnerable countries, we were encouraged by the commitments of the Glasgow-Pact for enhanced actions in the areas of mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and concessional financing.

Yet we are deeply concerned at the slow progress to translate those commitments into actions.

The latest IPCC reports issued a ‘code red’ for humanity.  Many climate-vulnerable countries are fast approaching the hard limits of adaptation.

Against this backdrop, we support your focus on green transition to ensure a sustainable and resilient recovery, especially in the most vulnerable countries.

How do you plan to leverage this to support a global response commensurate with the scale and gravity of the climate crisis?

Second, the Doha Programme of Action was adopted in March this year, which lays out a transformative agenda for the LDCs in the next decade. It promised to support the graduation of 15 more LDCs.

We thank UNDP for the report on implications for Trade Preferences and Development Financing for graduated LDCs in April this year. What other plans do you have to enhance support for sustainable and resilient graduation of the LDCs?

And more broadly, how do you plan to integrate the DPOA in the ongoing strategic plan for some of the most vulnerable countries, the LDCs?

Finally, the compounded impacts of COVID, climate and conflicts have widened manifold the resources gap for SDGs implementation.

We need new paradigms of global cooperation in the areas of development financing, digitization, climate change, gender equality, and poverty eradication.

Against this backdrop, how do you plan to leverage innovative financing, South-South cooperation, and digital tools to support the programme countries better?

Let me rest it here.

Thank you Madame President.