PM for 'well-coordinated roadmap' to face Covid

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday stressed the need for formulating a "well-coordinated roadmap" and urged the United Nations (UN) to play a "catalytic role" to combat Covid-19 crisis as she placed a six-point proposal to this end, reports BSS.

"We need a well-coordinated roadmap to face COVID-19 crisis. The 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda can be our blueprint to overcome this crisis," she said.

The premier added: "The UN must continue to play its catalytic role in this regard."

Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing virtually a high-level event on "Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond" on the sidelines of the 75th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in the UN headquarters in New York.

The six-point proposal placed in the event by the Bangladesh premier are:

Firstly, the G-7, G-20, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and international financial institutions (IFIs) should scale up fiscal stimulus, concessional finance, and debt relief measures. The advanced economies must fulfil their 0.7 per cent ODA commitment.

"Secondly, we need to divert more private finance and investment to the developing countries. We must leverage science, technology, and innovation for closing the digital divide," she said.