UNSDCF for Bangladesh 2022-2026 published

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Bangladesh for the 2022-2026 period was published Sunday. The Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the UN Resident Mission jointly organized the function held at the NEC-2 conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Planning Minister MA Mannan, ERD Secretary Fatima Yasmin and UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo spoke at the function virtually, said a Finance Ministry press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Kamal said that the United Nations has been a trusted and a long-term partner of Bangladesh since the country's independence while this organization has been playing an important role towards the overall attainments of the country.

"This framework will play a role in overcoming the shocks of the pandemic and attaining the 2030 agenda," he said hoping that like in the past, the UN would play its due role to help Bangladesh reaching its desired goals.

The Finance Minister said it was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a hunger and poverty free "Sonar Bangladesh." Following his footsteps, Bangladesh has attained an unprecedented 7.4 percent GDP growth on average over the last one decade before the COVID-19 period under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Kamal added.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said that Bangladesh is graduating from the LDCs and it is the duty of the government to ensure that all get the benefits of development equally and thus Bangladesh could turn into a developed country by 2041.

He also hoped that this framework would work to bring practical and sustainable changes among the lives of the most vulnerable communities of the country.

ERD Secretary Fatima Yasmin said that this cooperation framework would expedite the implementation of the country's 8th Five Year Plan and thus give directives to many arenas like graduation from the LDCs, overcoming the shock of COVID-19, and attaining SDGs.

UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo thanked the government and the concerned stakeholders for framing this cooperation framework.

She also assured the government that the UN would stand firmly beside Bangladesh to tackle climate change impacts, ensuring quality education for each child, ensuring participation of males and females in decision making.

Permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN Rabab Fatima, heads of the UN agencies in Bangladesh also joined the function virtually while the recorded speech of UN Development Coordination Office Director Robert Piper was also showed.

Later, the ERD Secretary and the UN Resident Coordinator unveiled the cover of the framework.