UNB, Dhaka :
UN Under-Secretary General Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu has said Bangladesh needs to focus on achieving the SDGs by making its high economic growth sustainable for its smooth graduation from the group of the least developed countries (LDCs).
“It looks like it’s on right track (to graduate to middle-income country)…one of the requirements, we think, is to achieve a 7 percent growth rate, which Bangladesh has already achieved,” she said in an interview with UNB during her recent two-day official visit to Bangladesh that concluded on Thursday last.
Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu said Bangladesh has the 2021 Vision that is targeting to be a middle-income country by 2021. “I think high economic growth is projected over the next couple of years. So, you need growth rate. Because, the assessment on graduation is dependent on how the country is doing in this area,” said Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu, who is also High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Utoikamanu said the graduation of a country from LDCs group is linked to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Graduation, I think, is linked to attainment of SDGs, because you look at human development index, economic development, attaining the targets of eliminating poverty and extreme poverty. So, the whole graduation process is also linked to achievement of SDGs.”
She said Bangladesh needs to have the determination to achieve the SDGs by making its high economic growth sustainable. Utoikamanu said Bangladesh should explore different options for domestic resource mobilisation alongside ensuring concessionary loans and climate financing from donors to implement the global agenda by 2030. Stressing the need for the private sector engagement in the SDGs implementation process, she said, “The private sector is also a very important partner.” Noting that there
are differences between SDGs and MDGs, she said there has been inclusive nature of the engagement prior to the adoption of the SDGs. “So, private sector, civil society and youths were widely consulted in the whole process leading up to the adoption of SDGs.”
The UN under-secretary general said youths have quite important role in implementing the SDGs.
Bangladesh is supposed to apply to the United Nation for the graduation from the LDCs group in 2018 and is expecting to come out from the LDCs group in 2024 after being qualified in two triennial review meetings in 2021 and 2024. She said the UN has been encouraging donors to continue their support to Bangladesh to meet its post-graduation challenges and also to other countries who are going to be out of the LDCs. “Some benefits – concessionary loans and some trade preferences that could potentially be lost. We’re looking at how to ease the countries’ problems when they will be out of LDCs and looking for alternatives to support the countries.”
Utoikamanu said the transitional and post-graduation challenges were discussed at a high-level meeting on “Achieving Sustainable Graduation for the LDC’s” on 29 to 30 November here.
At the meeting, it was discussed how the countries can cope with the post-graduation situation to ensure smooth transition and ensure its sustainability, she said. There are 91 UN member states who are most vulnerable countries including 47 LDCs.
UN Under-Secretary General Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu has said Bangladesh needs to focus on achieving the SDGs by making its high economic growth sustainable for its smooth graduation from the group of the least developed countries (LDCs).
“It looks like it’s on right track (to graduate to middle-income country)…one of the requirements, we think, is to achieve a 7 percent growth rate, which Bangladesh has already achieved,” she said in an interview with UNB during her recent two-day official visit to Bangladesh that concluded on Thursday last.
Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu said Bangladesh has the 2021 Vision that is targeting to be a middle-income country by 2021. “I think high economic growth is projected over the next couple of years. So, you need growth rate. Because, the assessment on graduation is dependent on how the country is doing in this area,” said Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu, who is also High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Utoikamanu said the graduation of a country from LDCs group is linked to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Graduation, I think, is linked to attainment of SDGs, because you look at human development index, economic development, attaining the targets of eliminating poverty and extreme poverty. So, the whole graduation process is also linked to achievement of SDGs.”
She said Bangladesh needs to have the determination to achieve the SDGs by making its high economic growth sustainable. Utoikamanu said Bangladesh should explore different options for domestic resource mobilisation alongside ensuring concessionary loans and climate financing from donors to implement the global agenda by 2030. Stressing the need for the private sector engagement in the SDGs implementation process, she said, “The private sector is also a very important partner.” Noting that there
are differences between SDGs and MDGs, she said there has been inclusive nature of the engagement prior to the adoption of the SDGs. “So, private sector, civil society and youths were widely consulted in the whole process leading up to the adoption of SDGs.”
The UN under-secretary general said youths have quite important role in implementing the SDGs.
Bangladesh is supposed to apply to the United Nation for the graduation from the LDCs group in 2018 and is expecting to come out from the LDCs group in 2024 after being qualified in two triennial review meetings in 2021 and 2024. She said the UN has been encouraging donors to continue their support to Bangladesh to meet its post-graduation challenges and also to other countries who are going to be out of the LDCs. “Some benefits – concessionary loans and some trade preferences that could potentially be lost. We’re looking at how to ease the countries’ problems when they will be out of LDCs and looking for alternatives to support the countries.”
Utoikamanu said the transitional and post-graduation challenges were discussed at a high-level meeting on “Achieving Sustainable Graduation for the LDC’s” on 29 to 30 November here.
At the meeting, it was discussed how the countries can cope with the post-graduation situation to ensure smooth transition and ensure its sustainability, she said. There are 91 UN member states who are most vulnerable countries including 47 LDCs.
