PM proposes multi-donor fund to tackle climate impact
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
INCHEON (South Korea), May 17 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for establishing the much-expected multi-donor trust fund at the earliest and quick disbursement of the fund among the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to enable them face the impact of climate change.
"Though our greenhouse gas emission is negligible, we're amongst the worst victims," she said delivering the keynote speech at the 66th Ministerial Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the Songdo Convensia Convention Centre Monday morning.
Hasina also urged the development partners of the LDCs to work with and fulfill their promises to the LDCs to sustain the momentum so far achieved in the development sectors and also to build on it.
She demanded adequate representation of the LDCs in the governing structures of multilateral institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank.
The Prime Minister further said that much needs to be done to increase the quantity of assistance as well as to improve its quality while foreign direct investments need to flow more to the LDCs' productive sectors, which can generate employment for the local populace.
"We need to build strong partnerships amongst LDCs and with the development partners for coherent and coordinated action for a happy future and better world."
She said the discontents of the developing countries - of the LDCs in particular - have to be addressed for achieving a sustained open world trade regime.
Hasina observed that development efforts within the least developed countries need to be sustained and even scaled up in order to address wide-spread poverty as the performance of the LDCs, however satisfactory under the constraints, remains fragile.
Regarding policy priority, she stressed "investment in people" for empowering and enabling them to realise a society free from poverty, hunger, ill-health and illiteracy.
"Special attention is needed to empower the weaker segment of people in the society and to remove gender discrimination and inequity," she said.
In her speech, the Prime Minister strongly urged for favourably considering the Dhaka Outcome Document and endorsing it for the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs.
'Dhaka Outcome Document' emerged at the high-level Asia-Pacific Policy Dialogue on the Brussels Program of Action for the Lest Developed Countries jointly arranged by the Government of Bangladesh and the ESCAP in Dhaka in January 2010.
Hasina said one significant conclusion reached by the Dhaka Outcome Document is that the Brussels Program remained an unfinished agenda for the Asia-Pacific LDCs, despite significant progress in several areas such as targeted growth rate and increased investment in productive sector for a number of countries.
She further said that the LDCs have also generally lagged behind others in the region in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals.
"Though our greenhouse gas emission is negligible, we're amongst the worst victims," she said delivering the keynote speech at the 66th Ministerial Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the Songdo Convensia Convention Centre Monday morning.
Hasina also urged the development partners of the LDCs to work with and fulfill their promises to the LDCs to sustain the momentum so far achieved in the development sectors and also to build on it.
She demanded adequate representation of the LDCs in the governing structures of multilateral institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank.
The Prime Minister further said that much needs to be done to increase the quantity of assistance as well as to improve its quality while foreign direct investments need to flow more to the LDCs' productive sectors, which can generate employment for the local populace.
"We need to build strong partnerships amongst LDCs and with the development partners for coherent and coordinated action for a happy future and better world."
She said the discontents of the developing countries - of the LDCs in particular - have to be addressed for achieving a sustained open world trade regime.
Hasina observed that development efforts within the least developed countries need to be sustained and even scaled up in order to address wide-spread poverty as the performance of the LDCs, however satisfactory under the constraints, remains fragile.
Regarding policy priority, she stressed "investment in people" for empowering and enabling them to realise a society free from poverty, hunger, ill-health and illiteracy.
"Special attention is needed to empower the weaker segment of people in the society and to remove gender discrimination and inequity," she said.
In her speech, the Prime Minister strongly urged for favourably considering the Dhaka Outcome Document and endorsing it for the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs.
'Dhaka Outcome Document' emerged at the high-level Asia-Pacific Policy Dialogue on the Brussels Program of Action for the Lest Developed Countries jointly arranged by the Government of Bangladesh and the ESCAP in Dhaka in January 2010.
Hasina said one significant conclusion reached by the Dhaka Outcome Document is that the Brussels Program remained an unfinished agenda for the Asia-Pacific LDCs, despite significant progress in several areas such as targeted growth rate and increased investment in productive sector for a number of countries.
She further said that the LDCs have also generally lagged behind others in the region in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals.