International Community Standby for Climate Displaced People in Bangladesh, need to promote Global Compacts First

Feb 24, 2019

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Dhaka, 23rd February 2019. Today COAST a NGO have organized seminar with PDD international steering committee members at Hotel Intercontinental Dhaka on climate displacement. PDD is a state led body with the membership of 18 state including European Union, France, Germany and Canada. At present Bangladesh is the chair and France is the vice chair, until 2018 Germany was the chair. The seminar was Chair by Dr. Atiq Rahman of BCAS, moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST. Chief Guest of the seminar was Mr Sahidul Haque Foreign Secretary of Government of Bangladesh and Special Guest Professor Walter Kaelin the Special Envoy of the Chair also spoken in the seminar. The seminar was attended by 21 international guests who will be participating in a two day meeting will be held in the city as organized by Government of Bangladesh. Speakers of the event especially different state representatives, express solidarity with struggle of climate displaced. Both civil society, state and UN agency representatives urged to promote two global compacts namely Global Compact on Migration (GCM) and Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), where states under the leadership of UN has acknowledge the climate displaced issues and pleaded to promote the course of actions as proposed in those compacts.
Other speakers of the seminar was Dr. Monjurl Hannan Khan Additional Secretary, Md Mohsin Additional Secretary, Mr Steven Corliss Country Representative UNHCR, Mr Giorgi Gigauri Country Representative IoM, Dr Ainun Nishat of BRAC University, Ms Farah Kabir Action Aid Bangladesh, Dr. Mahbuba Nasreen Dhaka University, Mr. Nayeem Gowhar Warha Disaster Forum, Mr Gopal Krishna Siwakoti Asia Pacific Refugee Right Network, Professor Walter Kelin Special Envoy to the Chair of PDD, and Mr Atle Solegerg, Head of Coordination Unit of PDD.
Mr Syed Aminul Haque from COAST has given key note presentation, in his presentation he said that in view of IDMC (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre) study, there are per year more than 1 million climate or disaster related displacement in Bangladesh. In future this will be increased due to the increased frequency of slow and rapid on set disasters. He has pleaded for polluter pay principle and demand legally binding international covenant for rights and protection of climate related displaced, as they are the innocent victim.
Mrs. Farah Kabir urged to give importance to the concern of Women and Children in the policies and course of actions for climate displaces, she also mentioned Bangladesh should have policy to provide employment to this displaced people in hundred economic zones. UNHCR country representatives Mr Steven and IoM country representatives Mr Gorgio urged and give importance to the promotion of issues related to the climate displaced both in two global compacts as agreed in UN. Professor Walter Kelin, there are three important state agreed tools, Sendai frame work and two global compacts, proposed a level of protection to the disaster displaced, now it is the priority to work on that. Foreign Secretary Mr Sahidul Haque said that, Bangladesh continue to work in all the international fronts especially also in Human Right council on the rights and protection of disaster and climate displaced.
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