Allocate $10 billion for development of ecosystems, FM urges int’l community

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has called upon the world community to allocate $10 billion as committed by them for the overall development of ecosystems and green shipping.

He also called for ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty and the restoration of the biodiversity of the oceans.

The minister made the call to a high-level panel of foreign ministers at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens yesterday.

He called for responsible and sustainable ocean management of ocean and stressed the need for balancing environmental conservation and socioeconomic development of people living in the proximity of the ocean.

Hasan Mahmud highlighted the initiatives taken by Bangladesh, a country with a long maritime border and maritime history, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure sustainable ocean management and utilisation of maritime resources to uplift the socioeconomic condition of the coastal population.

Foreign Ministers of Greece, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Principe also made interventions and national commitments at this conference concluding the day's panel discussion.