Dhaka global dialogue: This is truly the ‘Asian century’: Momen

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday urged all to join hands for a sustainable world of “peace and stability”, saying the “venom of hatred” and ignorance results in violence and wars.

“Without peace and stability, no country or region can prosper, achieve their goals. Of late, varieties of media, including social media, are promoting this venom of hatred,” he said.

In order to attain peace and stability, Dr Momen  said, it is important that everyone demonstrates respect for each other, and tolerance irrespective of ethnicity, colour or  religion. To inculcate such a mindset, he urged everyone -- parents, teachers, opinion-shapers, think tanks, community leaders and governments to join hands and work together.

The foreign minister was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day ‘Dhaka Global Dialogue 2019’ in the city. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the event at InterContinental Dhaka hotel -- jointly hosted by Bangladesh Institute of International  and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and India’s Observer Research Foundation  (ORF). ORF President Samir Saran and BIISS Director General AKM Abdur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Momen said that this is truly the “Asian century” and South Asian countries -- India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan -- and several others in the South East and East Asia are growing at a much faster rate than others. However, he said, it is not only the rate of growth but also sustainability and just distribution of benefits of that growth that make these fast growing economies so important.

“I personally see a vast area of possible future cooperation among  us. It is undeniable that intra-regional trade and physical connectivity are still insignificant compared to their true potential,” Dr Momen said. So, through Dhaka Global Dialogue, he said, their active collaboration and cooperation will be further successful to expand the  areas of cooperation and understanding for common benefit.

ROHINGYA REPATRIATION

On the Rohingya issue, the foreign minister said Bangladesh has given  shelter to 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar. “Now, it is the responsibility of the global community, including our  neighbours, to do more to ensure their quick and sustainable repatriation and reintegration in Myanmar.”

 The minister said this is an issue created by Myanmar and the solution also lies with them. He said voluntary return of the Rohingyas to their homes in the Rakhine state with safety, security and dignity is a crying need of the hour.

SDG IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

On Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr Momen said they consider implementation of SDGs a continuation of MDGs efforts. Bangladesh was one of the few countries who did attain almost all of the MDG targets.

The minister said realisation of the MDGs helped Bangladesh towards graduation from the LDC status. “Now we intend to do the same with the implementation of  SDGs.”

For this, he said, they took a three-pronged approach: mobilisation of resources, both funds and technology, capacity building and people’s empowerment at all stage of decision-making process.

The foreign minister said implementation of SDGs requires much greater, long-term and sustained flow of resources. He said preliminary assessment reveals that in Bangladesh, they  may require around USD 930 billion of additional synchronised expenses for full implementation of the SDGs.

For a developing country like Bangladesh, he said, even with its  impressive growth rate and social innovations, the burden is truly  great.

“Therefore, we need partnership -- regional, government-to-government, government and business, government  and academic plus NGOs, think tank and philanthropic, the  South-South and North cooperation; and innovative finances and technology  to achieve the goals,” he added.