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Download PDF Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed mooted a five-point recommendation for effective cooperation among the D8 member-states in energy, food, trade, climate change and migration at the sixth summit of the forum here yesterday.
The head of the caretaker government proposed to establish financing mechanisms to ensure a steady supply of affordable energy and focus on renewable energy as he said energy security is a must to realise the development potential the member-nations hold.
On global food crisis, the CA called for creating a D8 food fund to enhance collective food security. He noted that an unprecedented price hike of food grains is disproportionately affecting the poor in many countries.
“We need to develop mechanisms, not only to address short-term supply-side shocks but also strengthen cooperation to increase agriculture productivity. This is a must to prevent hunger and malnutrition,” he told the summit meet at Hotel Hilton, mentioning that it is a key priority of the UN-designated Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raja Gilani represented their countries. Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey were represented at ministerial level.
The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Meeting global challenges through innovative cooperation’.
The summit of the eight developing Islamic countries (D8) began at 9:25am (local time) with the host Malaysian prime minister delivering the inaugural speech.
Outgoing D8 chairman and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and D8 Secretary General Dipo Alam also made their statements at the outset of the meet.
Later, an agreement on simplification of visa procedures for D8 businessmen was signed by Malaysia.
The CA called for establishing a D8 free trade area alongside making progress in forging a Preferential Trade Agreement. Four members of the forum have already concluded bilateral Free Trade Agreements, he noted, saying that this trend should encompass all others.
“We should continue to work together so that the developed countries remove their tariff and non-tariff barriers against our agricultural and textile exports,” he told the summit.
He said the D8 countries has prioritised trade as a thrust sector for growth, but the current volume of D8 intra-trade is still very small–roughly $ 49 billion, which is only 9 percent of the world trade.
He hoped that full implementation of the Preferential Trade Agreement provisions would significantly boost the trade volume.
The CA stressed operationalisation of the customs agreement and implementing the agreements on simplifications of visa procedures for businessmen and MoU on air services cooperation.
He told the forum that Bangladesh has ratified the D8 visa agreement, which will facilitate business travels to Bangladesh from other member countries.
On the critical issue of climate change, the CA said D8 members should cooperate in regional and multilateral forums to uphold the sacrosanct principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’.
He said cooperation among the D8 members is a must to ensure that the developed countries make unilateral, meaningful and unconditional commitments to cut down their greenhouse gas emissions.
He said D8 should actively pursue sustainable development with special emphasis on adaptation and technology transfers. “Developed countries should provide us with adequate additional resources to address climate-change adaptation needs in addition to regular ODA. Bangladesh stands ready to offer its own experiences in adaptation techniques and practices.”
On potential of international migration, the CA pointed out that migration through remittances and transfer of knowledge has proved to be a strong antidote to poverty.
However, he said, opportunities for legal migration remained limited because of various restrictive policies and practices in many destination countries.
He proposed taking concrete steps and going beyond the agreed visa regime to facilitate the movement of natural persons among the D8 member countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt.
The CA said the D8 should also take a common position on liberalisation of Mode 1V services to ease the movement of workers to the developed countries.
Turning to domestic political scenario, the CA said his government is now at the final stage of political reforms to make democracy meaningful for the people.
He brought to the notice of the summit leaders the significant measures taken by the present caretaker government to eradicate corruption, promote the rights of the people, establish the rule of law, and make the government, especially the judiciary, effective and accountable.
The CA further informed the D8 leaders that his government opened dialogue with political parties to forge a national consensus for good governance.
“Bangladesh’s experience, we believe, can serve as an example for many developing countries facing the challenges of democracy and governance,” he said.
Iranian president and Pakistani prime minister also made their respective countries statement before delivery of Fakhruddin’s speech.
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