Dhaka seeks more international support to achieve MDG targets
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The foreign minister, M Morshed Khan, delivering Bangladesh’s statement at the UN General Assembly, urged the international community to fulfil their pledges and enhance development assistance to help the LDCs attain the Millennium Development Goals.
He emphasised that all exports from LDCs must be given duty-free and quota-free market access to ensure the economic growth necessary to eradicate poverty. ‘The Doha Development Round must resume ensuring special and differential treatment for the LDCs,’ he told the 61st session of the UNGA. The foreign minister called for liberalising free movement of labour and cited studies that showed that a modest commitment under GATS mode IV would offer substantial welfare gains for both developing and developed countries. ‘It may even exceed the gain of complete market liberalisation in merchandise trade,’ he said. On the issue of terrorism, Morshed reiterated Bangladesh’s stand against terrorism in all its forms, saying: ‘It is professed and carried out by a handful few and the victims are the vast majority of innocent men, women and children.’ He informed the General Assembly that the BNP government passed tough laws to punish the terrorists whom the prime minister, Khaleda Zia, dubbed repeatedly as ‘enemies of Islam, democracy, development, humanity, the people and the country’. The foreign minister highlighted the economic achievements of the government, stating that ‘after maintaining a growth rate of nearly 6 per cent for the last five years, we expect a growth rate of 6.7 per cent this fiscal year. He also informed that the present government would complete its tenure towards the end of next month and would hand over power to a neutral caretaker government in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. Earlier, Morshed attended the OIC Ministerial Meeting, which addressed a range of issues concerning the Muslims nations. He condemned in unequivocal term the recent Israeli aggression in Lebanon. Morshed stressed that the international community should not merely remain focused on acts and outcomes of terrorism. ‘It must also address its root causes, including the political and social injustices perpetrated against many communities worldwide,’ he said. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, among others, attended the ministerial meeting. The foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, in his capacity as the current chair of ICFM, chaired the meeting. On the sideline of UNGA, Italy’s state minister for foreign affairs, Vittorio Craxi, and Guatemala’s foreign minister, Gert Rosenthal, met with Morshed and discussed bilateral issues. The Guatemalan foreign minister sought Bangladesh’s support for their candidature for a non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Source: Daily News More |
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