Dhaka signs treaty for sustainable use of marine resources

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (UNB): Bangladesh has signed the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) , also known as "Treaty of the High Seas", to protect and use marine resources in a sustainable way.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the agreement on Wednesday under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea at the Ground Floor, General assembly Building, Treaty Event area here.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said this while briefing reporters about the prime minister's engagements here in New York.

The BBNJ is a new instrument developed within the framework of the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Momen said he held several bilateral meetings with Singapore's foreign minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan and Netherlands foreign trade and development cooperation minister Liesje Schreinemache as well as attended several high level events, including Breakfast Summit on Climate Mobility and 18th Asia Cooperation Dialogue.

In the climate summit, Momen said, "Bangladesh has become a role model for the rest of the countries to face the adverse impact of climate change."

He said the rich countries are mainly responsible for carbon emission while the contribution of the developing countries is only 0.47 percent.

The foreign minister called upon the developed countries to keep up their commitments to attain the goal of mobilising US$100 billion per year for the climate fund.