Momen calls to expand sustainable and advanced tech support for developing countries

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has made a call to expand the transfer of clean, sustainable, and advanced technology for developing countries at an affordable cost.

"The expansion of tech support is essential for combating climate change and reducing the impacts of climate change on trade and investments," he said while speaking at a virtual event on "Climate Change Priorities in Trade and Investment" on Monday (14 February). 

The webinar was organised by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva under the auspices of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). To mention, Bangladesh is currently leading the 55-climate vulnerable countries' Forum for a second term.

During his address, the foreign minister gave a brief account of the socio-economic impacts of climate change in Bangladesh and highlighted the steps taken by the government to combat climate change under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

He apprised the audience of the 'Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan' adopted on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

Meanwhile, Dr Momen urged the international community to proactively address the unique challenges of the climate-vulnerable countries, including their socio-economic losses and comparative disadvantages in trade due to climate change. 
 
Among others, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director-General Daren Tang, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Deputy Secretary-General Isabelle Durant, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Deputy to the Director-General Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, South Centre Executive Director Dr Carlos María Correa, Special Envoy of the Climate Vulnerable Forum Presidency Md Abul Kalam Azad, and Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, India and Barbados took part in the discussion.  

The Director-General of WTO emphasised that climate-related trade policies must be framed with just transition facilities for the developing countries. She called for more financing and aid for trade for addressing the specific needs of the climate-vulnerable countries. 

The Director-General of WIPO flagged that the IP system plays a crucial role in combating climate change by encouraging innovation in new technologies and facilitating technology transfer to developing countries. 

The Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD emphasized that no action in the international trade rule arena should undermine the export capacity of LDCs. Identifying lack of finance as a major hindrance to the environmentally sustainable structural transformation, she called for additional financing, patent-free green technology transfer and capacity-building support to developing countries, particularly the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) countries. 

The Deputy to Director General of UNIDO highlighted sustainable industrialization for attaining net-zero emissions. 

Md Mustafizur Rahman, ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh in Geneva, moderated the webinar.

In addition to diplomats from different countries, the event was attended by representatives from many non-governmental organizations, media, academia, think tanks and civil society.