Bangladesh will push for a special UN programme on Global Food Security at the twelfth UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) meet in Ghana next week to increase food availability around the world.
Speaking to reporters at his office yesterday, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury said as the chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at the UN, Bangladesh would push the UN for a thrust programme through a Global Food Security Compact.
Iftekhar said the programme would serve to find ways to meet worldwide shortages in food grain, as it would seek a New Green Revolution through greater research and development.
“LDCs are hardest hit by the food shortage”, the adviser said.
He added that Bangladesh would push for a package-proposal at the meeting. The package would include greater duty-free quota for market access, improved labour mobility, and use of UNCTAD for more research, technical assistance and investments for LDCs.
Nations struggling to meet Millennium Development Goals by 2015 need additional assistance, Iftekhar said.
The UNCTAD meet takes place once every four years. LDC ministers are scheduled to meet ahead of the meet next week to find ways to address “opportunities and challenges of globalisation for development.”
The foreign adviser said that Bangladesh could benefit from the Enhanced Integrated Framework, which would help infrastructural projects as deep-sea ports, the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and development of the Mongla Port.
He also stressed on the importance of ‘aid for trade’ programmes.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Economy, Bangladesh News, Daily Bangladesh News, Economy, News
