Bangladesh elected to two prestigious regional bodies under UNESCAP
It has been elected to a three-year term on the Governing Councils of APCICT and APDIM
Bangladesh has achieved a major diplomatic success at the 81st session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), being held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21 April to today.
Highlighting its growing role in regional cooperation, Bangladesh contested and won elections to join the governing councils of two prestigious regional institutions under UNESCAP.
It has been elected for a three-year term on the Governing Councils of the Asia-Pacific Training Centre on ICT for Development (APCICT) and the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM).
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At the opening session, speeches were delivered by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana; Prime Minister of the Royal Thai Government, Paetongtarn Shinawatra; and several ministers from across the region.
The foreign minister of Nepal was elected chair of the 81st session, while Bangladesh's special assistant to the chief adviser for finance was named one of the vice-chairs.
The inaugural session began with a powerful video message from Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. In his speech, he strongly called for greater cooperation at both the regional and global levels.
He stressed the importance of working together to face common challenges and urged the creation of a new world based on three key goals: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.
He also reaffirmed Bangladesh's strong commitment to promoting sustainable and inclusive development throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The Bangladesh delegation at this important session is being led by Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for finance. He is joined by senior government officials, including Shish Haider Chowdhury, secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD), and Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), along with other high-level representatives from different ministries and the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand.
Bangladesh's active participation was especially evident in the session on 'Regional cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific.' Anisuzzaman Chowdhury played a key role in shaping the discussion on sustainable development.
He strongly called on ESCAP and its member states to greatly increase technical assistance, promote strong research partnerships, and invest more in smart, green, and resilient urban development projects across the Asia-Pacific region.
During the session, Shish Haider Chowdhury, secretary of the ICT Division, highlighted important priorities for both Bangladesh and the region.
He stressed the need to develop multimodal transport systems, improve access to climate financing, and support cross-border solutions to tackle shared challenges in building resilient and sustainable cities.
Bangladesh took another step toward its vision of a sustainable future by hosting a high-level side event focused on "Sustainable Urbanisation through Three Zeros." This initiative supports a new model for urban development based on three core principles: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.
The model comes from Muhammad Yunus's book, A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions, which presents a vision for a fair and sustainable future.
During the session on the "Three Zeros," Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division, stressed the vital role of regional partnerships in moving forward with this agenda.
He underlined the importance of sharing knowledge, attracting financial investment, and providing technical support to help developing countries manage their complex urban changes and reach these bold goals.
Beyond the elections and thematic sessions, the Bangladesh delegation held a productive bilateral meeting with the executive secretary of UNESCAP. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in important areas, including ICT development and improving regional resilience to various challenges.
This important double electoral victory shows that the international community has growing trust in Bangladesh's progressive policies and strong leadership in the region.
Bangladesh sincerely thanks all member states for their valuable support and expresses gratitude to the executive secretary of UNESCAP for her renewed commitment to working more closely with Bangladesh in key priority areas.
