Diplomatic Correspondent

Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday said Bangladesh needs proactive international support to manage forcefully displaced Rohingyas as well as climate refugees.

“We need effective and proactive support from the international community to manage this huge displacement,” he said.

Dr Momen mentioned that Bangladesh has the first hand experience of all these types as the country is hosting 1.1 million Rohingyas who were forcibly displaced from their ancestral home and a good number of its population is regularly displaced due to erratic climate changes every year.

The foreign minister was speaking virtually at the 13th Global Forum of Migration and Development, host by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He said the GFMD had significance and uniqueness that provide a voluntary, non-binding and government-led process to discuss all possible solutions related to migration.

Noting that shared responsibility, cooperation and inclusiveness are critical in addressing challenges to effective migration governance, he said, “We should take all measures keeping the ultimate interest of the migrants in the centre of all of our activities.”

During Covid-19, he said the world has witnessed that the migrant workers are the most vulnerable.

“We need to ensure migrants’ rights from the early stage of ethical recruitment to wage, health, job protection and ultimate safe return,” he said.

For that to happen, he said, international community and all local, regional and global stakeholders should play a key role through platforms like GFMD.

The foreign minister suggested that GFMD should promote more right-based approach to address the gaps to protect migrants during both normal and crisis times.

He also observed that the GFMD could also substantially contribute towards the achievement of SDGs as the issue of migration is strongly interlinked with other vital issues.