0
Amirul Islam, New York: Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, delivered a speech on behalf of Bangladesh at the Fourth Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Leaders’ Meeting on Development Reset and Cooperation, held at the United Nations Headquarters.
Dr. Saimum Parvez is currently in New York as a member of the Bangladeshi delegation participating in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81).
The Fourth CVF Leaders’ Meeting, held on the sidelines of UNGA 81, was chaired by H.E. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. The meeting was attended by heads of state and government, high-level delegations from climate-vulnerable countries, development partners, and representatives of international organizations.
In his speech at the meeting, Dr. Saimum Parvez called for placing justice, ambition, and solidarity at the core of global climate action. He also emphasized strengthening the voices of vulnerable countries in international climate and development decision-making.
Highlighting the impacts of sea-level rise, floods, salinity, and cyclones in Bangladesh, he stated, “Climate change is not tomorrow’s headline; it is our struggle for existence today.”
Dr. Saimum Parvez also mentioned Bangladesh’s long-standing role in advocating for the interests and demands of climate-vulnerable countries on the international stage. He highlighted Bangladesh’s contributions from the Dhaka Declaration 2011 to the Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration 2021, stating that collective initiatives have played a crucial role in bringing the issue of Loss and Damage to the forefront of global climate negotiations.
He added, “When vulnerable countries speak with a united voice, the world can no longer turn a blind eye.”
Dr. Saimum Parvez welcomed the initiative to advance the Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Compact at the meeting. Concurrently, he expressed Bangladesh’s strong support for the proposed Lifeline Fund, aimed at providing rapid liquidity support to address the pressure on balances of payments caused by climate shocks.
He stated that for countries like Bangladesh, a major climate disaster could undermine several years of development gains. Therefore, mechanisms capable of ensuring rapid and effective financial assistance after a climate shock are crucial. The Fourth CVF Leaders’ Meeting also placed special emphasis on advancing the V2V Compact, operationalizing the Lifeline Fund, and expanding opportunities for affordable and long-term finance for climate-vulnerable countries.
Dr. Saimum Parvez called for stronger international initiatives to limit global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius.
He highlighted Bangladesh’s recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2035 and the commitment to generate 20% of the country’s electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.
Addressing the dual crisis of climate and finance, he noted that many vulnerable countries are forced to divert funds from critical sectors like health and education to debt servicing due to increasing debt burdens.
Dr. Saimum Parvez outlined four key priorities for the international community ahead of COP31.
He called for ensuring predictable, concessional, and fair climate finance; fully operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund for rapid and easy disbursement of funds; reforming the global financial architecture to enhance debt relief and concessional financing; and utilizing the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice to strengthen climate accountability.
Dr. Saimum Parvez stated that the international financial system must be made more equitable and effective to ensure that climate-vulnerable countries are not forced to choose between essential development needs like building schools and healthcare, and building climate resilience.
Concluding his speech, he called for stronger international cooperation, stating that climate action must be transformed into a driving force for sustainable and equitable development for all.