BD to Be Voice of Climate Vulnerable Countries: FM

Bangladesh has taken over the Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Finance Ministers for the 2020-2022 term from Marshal Island and urges everyone to give top priority to CVF and V20.

Bangladesh also urged all to contribute by providing technical and financial support to carry out the priority works ahead.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh will be the voice of the vulnerable countries and will promote their interests in the global platform during her presidency of CVF and V20," said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday.

He made the remarks during a virtual press briefing on CVF Troika Meeting.

Casten N Nemra, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marshal Island and Professor Dr Fekadu Beyene, Commissioner for the Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ethiopia were also present.

They particularly discussed the priorities of Bangladesh during her presidency of these two important platforms. Among other priorities, creation of a new CVF and V20 Trust Fund, possibility of having a new Special Rapporteur on climate change, appointing CVF’s thematic Envoys and Special Envoys for Climate Change, the publication of the third edition of the Climate Vulnerability Monitor will rank high during our presidency.

Dr Momen said they will also highlight the issues of ‘Loss and Damage’ and the cases of displacement of the climate refugees caused by climate change.

The troika ministers from Bangladesh, the Marshal Islands and Ethiopia, together with the CVF Expert Advisory Group, the CVF Secretariat and the GCA Headquarters, held a productive meeting on how to build on the current achievements of CVF and V-20.

They shared experiences, ideas, and sought support for a common cause which is to protect the interests of the vulnerable countries.

CVF and Bangladesh

The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is a global partnership of 48 countries that are disproportionately affected by the consequences of global warming.

The CVF was founded by the Maldives government before the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which sought to increase awareness regarding the causes of the countries considered most vulnerable.

Bangladesh was the third chair of the CVF, from 2011 to 2013. It hosted a Ministerial Meeting of the forum on November 13–14, 2011 in Dhaka, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were keynote speakers at its inauguration ceremony.

Bangladesh established the first Trust Fund of CVF.       

Out of the membership of CVF, Finance Ministers of the Vulnerable Twenty (V20), representing close to 700 million people threatened by climate change and spanning different regions of the world, held their inaugural meeting on October 8, 2015, in Lima, Peru and issued a declaration and announced the formation of V20 Group within the CVF.

CVF and V20 are great examples of South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Recently, the Global Centre on Adaptation in the Netherlands agreed to act as the Secretariat of the CVF.

Foreign Minister Dr Momen said they require support and full cooperation from all member states of CVF, CVF Secretariat, GCA Headquarters and other development partners for a successful presidency.

He requested the development partners to provide generous assistance to the CVF, as investing in the environment today would be a safeguard for their children tomorrow.

He thanked the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Marshal Islands and the Hon'ble Commissioner of Ethiopia for their participation and commitment.

"Bangladesh looks forward very much to working closely with all members of CVF and V20 to contribute to a truly effective, inclusive and responsible global climate change governance regime," Dr Momen said.

Source: UNB