Make Covid-19 vaccine available for all at the same time: PM at 75th UNGA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the world community to treat the Covid-19 vaccine as a "global public good" and urged the United Nations to ensure its timely availability to all countries at the same time.

"We hope that the Covid-19 vaccine will soon become available... It is imperative to treat the vaccine as a 'global public good'…," she said.

The PM made the plea while virtually addressing the general debate at the 75th United Nations General Assembly. She made the address in Bangla like in previous years, following in the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She also said if Bangladesh is provided with the technical know-how and patents, the pharmaceutical industry of the country has the capacity to mass produce the vaccine.

Hasina said the pandemic is a stark reminder that the fates of human being are interconnected and that "no one is secured until everyone is secured".

BANGLADESH'S COVID-19 RESPONSE

During her address, the prime minister also said efforts to contain the pandemic and achieve Agenda 2030 have to go hand-in-hand.

"Bangladesh's second voluntary national review (VNR) presented this year shows that we're well on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

She said that Bangladesh achieved a GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in the fiscal year 2018-2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic has impeded its economic progress.

In Bangladesh, she said, the government took initiatives from the beginning putting equal emphasis on the lives and livelihoods of people.

"We've announced stimulus packages aiming to minimise the impacts of the pandemic on our business and productivity. We've greatly expanded social safety nets' coverage," she said.

The prime minister said the government has readily arranged food and other assistance for the people who have become jobless due to Covid-19. This arrangement has benefitted nearly 10 million families.

She said the government announced a 31-point directive soon after the detection of Covid-19 cases in the country and launched awareness-raising campaigns, as well as distributed personal protective kits aiming to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

Hasina said the government quickly identified the impending challenges of Bangladesh's financial sector and announced 21 stimulus packages.

"So far, we've announced stimulus packages worth USD 13.25 billion which is equivalent to 4.03 percent of our total GDP," she said.

The PM said the highest emphasis has been placed on food production during the pandemic. "At the same time, we've taken all measures to ensure adequate supply of nutrition for our people."

Hasina said special arrangements have been made for keeping the industries running and for proper marketing of agricultural products and industrial outputs in full compliance with health guidelines. "Consequently, our health sector and economy are still comparatively in better shape."

Despite the Covid-induced stagnation in global industrial outputs, Bangladesh's GDP has registered a growth rate of 5.24 percent which is expected to be 7 percent in the next fiscal year.

Along with government assistance, she said she herself has collected funds and distributed more than Tk 2.5 billion among orphans, poor students, madrasahs, mosques, temples, school teachers, artists and journalists who were not included in government's assistance programmes.

"As a result, the impact of the pandemic among our people has been minimal," she said.

BANGLADESH'S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION 

Hasina said the government is working hard to transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021, attain the SDGs by 2030, become a developed country by 2041 and a prosperous Delta by 2100.

"We cannot but emphasise more on the importance of leveraging science, technology, and innovation for closing the digital divide and mobilising resources and technology transfer," she said.

She mentioned it is also crucial that graduating LDCs and recently graduated ones are accorded scaled-up international support and incentive packages in the transition and post-transition phases to minimise the pandemic-triggered impediments.

Regarding migrant workers, the PM said they are the frontline contributors to the economies of their host and home countries alike. Many of them have lost their jobs during the pandemic, while many have been sent back home.

"We've allocated US$ 361 million for the returnee migrant workers. It is critical to help them regain employment in the post-Covid job market. I urge the international community and migrant receiving countries to treat migrant workers fairly and with empathy," she said.

'RECOGNIZE WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACE AND SECURITY'

The prime minister said Bangladesh is the world's largest troops and police-contributing country in the world to the peacekeeping missions. "Our peacekeepers are putting their lives on the line to secure and sustain peace in conflict-ravaged countries. The international community must ensure their safety and security."

She also said this year all are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. "As one of its original proponents, we call for due recognition of women's role in peace and security.  We've already formulated a national action plan in this regard."

Bangladesh's unflinching commitment to peace has resulted in the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and violent extremism. National efforts have to be complemented by international cooperation to curb this menace, she added.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Talking about the climate-vulnerable countries, Hasina said the pandemic is worsening the pre-existing vulnerabilities of these countries.

In Bangladesh, she said, "We're dealing with the dual impact of recent floods and the cyclone Amphan even during the pandemic. As the current president of the CVF and the V-20 Group of Ministers of Finance, Bangladesh would lead the Forum to map a sustainable and climate-resilient pathway out of the crisis. We also stand ready to contribute to securing a constructive and productive outcome in the Glasgow COP."

GENDER EQUALITY

She mentioned that the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action has helped the international community come a long way to ensure gender equality. "As we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration, we need to strengthen our resolve and mutual cooperation to address all the critical areas of concern."

In Bangladesh, she said, the government has closed 72.6 percent of the overall gender gap. Women's contributions remain at the core of the national development and they are also at the forefront of pandemic response and recovery efforts, she said.

Hasina said Bangladesh consistently and strongly supports the global quest for a nuclear weapons free world. To that end, it supports the aspirations of developing countries to benefit from the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

GENOCIDE

During her address, Hasina also touched upon Bangladesh's painful experience and the worst form of genocide and crimes against humanity that the nation had to endure during its struggle for independence, which motivated it to support the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people.

ROHINGYA SOLUTION LIES WITH MYANMAR

Hasina said more than three years have passed since Bangladesh provided temporary shelter to over 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, but not a single Rohingya could yet be repatriated.

"The problem was created by Myanmar and its solution must be found in Myanmar. I request the international community to play a more effective role for a solution to the crisis."

Hasina said that pandemic has indeed aggravated existing global challenges. It has also reinforced the indispensability of multilateralism.

She also said on the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, the commitment to multilateralism as embodied in the UN Charter remains unflinching.

"At the national level, despite numerous challenges, we're committed to upholding the values of multilateralism and working towards building a 'Sonar Bangla' free of poverty and exploitation based on democratic principles with full enjoyment of human rights, as envisioned by the Father of our Nation. On the birth centenary of our Father of the Nation, this is our pledge to our nation and to the world," she said.