‘NAM’s shared responsibility to amplify Rohingya voices’

Bangladesh has said the international community including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) does have a shared responsibility to amplify the voices of Rohingyas, the most persecuted minority of the world.

"They deserve the world's sustained engagement to create a situation conducive to their voluntary, safe and dignified return to Rakhine state as soon as possible," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam.

He was addressing the ministerial conference of NAM. Azerbaijan is hosting the two-day ministerial conference under the theme of the "Promoting international peace and security for sustainable development".

A meeting of senior officials was held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The state minister said without meaningful changes on the ground, the displaced Rohingya would not regain the confidence to opt for voluntary return.

"On our part, Bangladesh will continue to work in good faith with Myanmar to help find a comprehensive and durable solution to this pro16tracted humanitarian situation. We thank NAM member states for acknowledging this crisis," he said.

The State Minister said Bangladesh counts on NAM's lead role and advocacy in promoting and protecting the rights of the oppressed and dispossessed anywhere in the world.

"We join all NAM members in unequivocally condemning the recent violence and killing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and call for end to hostilities against innocent civilians," he said.

In a world of many opportunities and challenges, Shahriar Alam said, they must continue work in unison to prove to the rest of the world that NAM continues to remain a champion for promoting international peace and security as fundamental to realising shared aspiration of sustainable development

The State Minister said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development charts many cross-cutting pathways to peace.

He said the quest for building peaceful, just and inclusive societies is not just confined to SDG16.

"It can and should be supported by relevant targets across other SDGs. The notion of 'sustaining peace' also underscores the critical interface required among peace and security, development and human rights to prevent and resolve conflicts.

The State Minister said evidence shows that conflict-affected countries continue to underperform in terms of internationally agreed development goals.

"This gives us the reason to focus more on conflict prevention. This is certainly not about intervention from outside. Instead, it must be driven by national ownership and leadership, with focus on inclusivity," he said.

International and regional partners can support through a portfolio of options guided by nationally identified needs, Shahriar said.

He said effective and meaningful support can be translated into increased and predictable financing for development, technology transfer, access to innovations, productive investment, preferential trade facilities, and facilitating safe and regular migration, including labour mobility.

The State Minister said climate change impacts are real and threaten to roll back hard earned development gains. "The unholy nexus between terrorism and organised crimes is adding to the strength of many non-state actors. Use or threat of use of weapons of mass destruction is raising tension.

He said Bangladesh underscores the paramount importance of implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. "We associate ourselves with result-oriented initiatives to promote conservation and sustainable use of water and marine resources."