South-South co-op can play vital role in our dev efforts: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said South-South cooperation could play a catalytic role in financing uplift recipe as it remains a key challenge in many development efforts undertaken by Bangladesh.
Domestic and external resource mobilisation must be accelerated to that end alongside enhancement of private-sector investment, he told reporters Monday.
Mr Muhith was speaking at the press briefing organised to mark the conclusion of a two-day high-level meeting on 'South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Financing for Development in the South and Technology Transfer'.
Bangladesh hosted the international conference in collaboration with the UNOSSC (United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation) and the UNDP with the participation of 45 member-countries.
Foreign Affairs Minister Abul Hassan Mahnood Ali, who also joined the press briefing, said: "The rich countries possess the technological knowledge and they should transfer it to us to ensure sustainable development especially during the post-2015 era."
He urged the developed countries to make available more funds to accelerate development efforts undertaken by developing nations like Bangladesh.
The finance minister further said science, technology and innovative ideas are required for the sustainable development aimed at in the upcoming uplift recipe.
He sees South-South cooperation as very much important for Bangladesh. "The experiences of the South-South nations are almost similar. So it is very much important for us," he said.
The finance minister said international financial institutions should also change their traditional funding system.
"Now we demand the transfer of technology and they…(should extend their hands about the new demands)."
Dr AK Abdul Momen, president of the General Assembly High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, said many internationally distinguished personalities attended the Dhaka meet on the latest development concept.
Kingsley Mamabolo, chairman of the Group of 77, and George Talbot, co-chair of the third International Conference on Financing for Development, were among the luminaries at the consultation.
"They heard all the issues. We hope that our many critical issues will be included in the final document," he told the press.
Jasimharoon@yahoo.com