Int'l efforts to address challenges stressed

Speakers at a consultation meeting on Tuesday stressed the need for combined global effort to address the challenges of climate-induced migration.
They also suggested that climate change and labour mobility should be brought under the framework of sustainable development to make the issue mainstreamed into national development.
The Co-Chairs of the Bangladesh Migration Compact Taskforce; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh, organised the National Preparatory Consultation ahead of the forthcoming 14th summit of Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) at a city hotel.
During the Inaugural Session, Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that "GFMD has over the years helped manage many misperceptions about migration, explore innovative ways to talk about sensitive issues, and paved the way for adoption of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration."
Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-chair of the Migration Compact Task Force in Bangladesh cited the importance of climate-migration nexus as "Bangladesh continues to grapple with the challenges posed by climate change, leading to the emergence of a new dimension in migration notably climate induced migration".
Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and co-chair of the Migration Compact Task Force in Bangladesh highlighted the "need to do more inclusive and comprehensive studies migration and climate change pertaining to Bangladesh to tailor the programmes and policies accordingly".
Marie Masdupuy, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh in her statement during the inaugural session stressed that "France and the French Presidency is very much aware of the specific climate vulnerabilities of Bangladesh which is part of a region particularly exposed to climate change, environmental degradation and human mobility."
She also emphasized the importance of involving all concerned stakeholders to address those cross-cutting issues, including the private sector, academia, non-governmental organisations and the Youth.
Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM) while drawing attention to the new area of focus of GFMD 2024 discourse prioritizing the social and cultural dimensions of migration highted "the need to recognize that migration choices are rooted in the social and cultural contexts and a 'culture of migration' in return also impacts the socio-economic and cultural fabric of sending and receiving communities".
Following the Inaugural Session, the day-long consultation started with a Plenary Session on the "The Impact of Climate Change on Human Mobility: Preventive Action, Humanitarian Action and Development" facilitated by Professor Md. Shahidul Haque, Senior Advisor, IOM Bangladesh.
He highlighted the risks of the impact of adverse climate conditions on safe migration in Bangladesh.
Established in 2007, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) represents a state-led, informal and non-binding platform pivotal in shaping the global discourse on migration and development.
Representatives from government entities, development partners and civil society actively engaged in discussions addressing challenges in the context of Bangladesh and collaboratively framed recommendations for advocacy points aimed at optimizing the impact of migration on development. It is expected that Bangladesh will put forward these advocacy points forward at the GFMD in January 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the Closing Session, Abdulla Ali Abdulla Khaseif Al Hmoudi, Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to Bangladesh shared that "the UAE Presidency of COP28 attaches importance to the central theme of GFMD that is the impact of climate change on human mobility. He further stated "I am looking forward to seeing the discussion surrounding global migration continue to develop during the COP28 and I hope all these interesting thoughts, ideas, and data continue to contribute positively to the next summit in Geneva in 2024."
Mahjabeen Khaled, Secretary General, Bangladesh Parliamentarians' Caucus on Migration and Development stated that "Bangladesh, being at the forefront of migration-related discourse has made commendable strides in policy frameworks to address climate-induced mobility'.
Speaking on behalf of the Civil Society Mr. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman of WARBE Development Foundation reiterated that the rights of migrants must be safeguarded, irrespective of their migratory status.
The GFMD process facilitates collaborative efforts between governments, civil societies, the private sector, local and regional governments, youth, the UN system, inter-governmental organizations, and other pertinent stakeholders to delve into sensitive issues, develop consensus, propose innovative solutions, and share policy and practices.

[email protected]