Momen calls for rehabilitating climate migrants

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has called upon major carbon emitting countries to rehabilitate the climate migrants displaced from their homes and traditional jobs due to climate change.

"It is the responsibility of the international community, particularly the major carbon emitting countries, to rehabilitate the climate migrants," he said.

The minister was addressing the meeting of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Rotterdam of the Netherlands on Monday, said a press release issued in Dhaka yesterday.

The GCA is Dutch initiative to develop and share knowledge and best practices for climate change adaptation.

During the meeting, Momen stressed the need for ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in the area of climate change by the major polluting countries.

The Bangladesh foreign minister also highlighted the importance of ensuring the climate finance of at least $100 billion every year, with equal importance given to mitigation and adaptation.

Momen is a board member of the GCA, while Ban Ki-moon, the immediate past UN secretary-general, is the chairman of the organisation.

The floating office of the GCA Headquarters, the largest floating office in the world, was inaugurated in Rotterdam by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in presence of board members, ministers from different countries, and several heads of international organisations.

Earlier, Momen chaired a meeting of the Ministers of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the platform of 48 countries severely affected by climate change.

In the meeting, the recent CVF activities were reported, and also the possible actions leading up to the 26th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP26) were discussed. The COP26 is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, UK in November.