Momen Urges Denmark to Raise Rohingya Issue at UNSC

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday 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, reports BSS.

“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 hotel in Dhaka.

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 civilised 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 per cent power from renewable energy by 2041 which is now only 3.5 per cent.

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.