Green engagement docket with Denmark signed

Bangladesh and Denmark on Monday signed a Framework Document on Sustainable and Green Engagement as the two countries shared joint commitment in tackling global challenges like climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen and Danish Minister for Development and Cooperation Flemming Moller Mortensen inked the document at a city hotel function. Visiting Danish Crown Princess Mary was present to witness the signing ceremony, reports BSS.

During the ceremony, Dr Momen said that the Framework Document would serve as an expression of intent between Bangladesh and Denmark, which will be supplemented by an Action Plan involving the concerned government entities. "This initiative signals our two countries' shared interest in further diversifying the content of our bilateral relations," he said.

The Bangladesh foreign minister said the frame document should help build synergies between Bangladesh's home-grown climate change adaptation strategies and Danish innovation and technological expertise.

The Danish minister for development cooperation stated that Denmark and Bangladesh are two countries with a strong and active engagement in the global climate agenda. "Signing of the green framework document today, signals that we are ready to 'walk the talk' on the commitments made in the Paris Agreement - the international treaty on climate change," he said.

The document focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental damage and loss of biodiversity in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, said a joint statement after the signing ceremony.

Denmark is the first country to enter a Framework Engagement with Bangladesh aiming to provide knowledge and technology towards attaining a sustainable and greener future, it added.

The cooperation will bring all instruments into play, ranging from diplomatic action and development cooperation to climate funding and investments, trade and private sector relations, including public-private partnerships, said the statement. After the signing ceremony, Dr Momen held a meeting with the Danish minister to discuss various issues related to development cooperation between the two countries.

Denmark Crown Princess Mary arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning on a three-day tour to visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and climate vulnerable community in Sundarbans area.  After arriving here, the princess held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban.

During her visit, the princess is scheduled to visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and different areas in Sundarbans to interact with climate vulnerable community. Copenhagen urged to raise Rohingya issue at UNSC 

Another report adds:  Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today urged Copenhagen to firmly raise the Rohingya issue at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as Denmark is going to become a member of UNSC. 

“They (Denmark) are becoming a member of  (UN) security council … we urged them to raise the Rohingya crisis there (UNSC) firmly as a core issue,” he said.  The foreign minister told this to media after holding a meeting with Danish Development Cooperation Minister Flemming Møller Mortensen in a city hotel here. 

Before the meeting the two ministers signed the Framework Document on Sustainable and Green Engagement in presence of visiting Danish Crown Princess Mary in the city.   Dr Momen said he also urged Denmark to support Gambia in its case with International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Myanmar for  committing genocide over Rohingyas. 

“I told them the Gambia’s case against Myanmar is to stop genocide worldwide … we don’t want to see any genocide in this civilized world,” he said adding that Denmark agreed to provide support in this regard.    

He said Denmark would support Bangladesh to check environmental degradation in Cox’s Bazar caused by huge influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar. The foreign minister also said that Denmark had already provided two million Euro through European Union for the Rohingyas those were relocated to Bhashanchar island. 

Regarding the today’s framework document, the foreign minister said Bangladesh would take different action programmes on climate change mitigation and adaptation under the framework with Denmark’s financial and technological supports.       

“They have expertise in renewable energy especially in wind power … they will oversee the potential of wind power here and under this framework they will support us,” he said adding that Bangladesh has a target to get 40 percent power from renewable energy by 2041 which is now only 3.5 percent. 

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina already negated 10 proposed coal-based power plants that could have brought 12 billion US dollar as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country as “we would like to go for renewable energy”.     

The foreign minister termed the framework documents as a landmark between Bangladesh and Denmark as the two countries are celebrating 50 years anniversary of diplomatic ties.  He said Dhaka and Copenhagen would also like to work together in the fishing and blue economy areas.  

The signed framework document focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental damage and loss of biodiversity in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, said a joint statement after the signing ceremony.

Denmark is the first country to enter a Framework Engagement with Bangladesh aiming to provide knowledge and technology towards attaining a sustainable and greener future, it added. The cooperation will bring all instruments into play, ranging from diplomatic action and development cooperation to climate funding and investments, trade and private sector relations, including public-private partnerships, said the statement.