Bangladesh’s resolution entitled “Natural Plant Fibers and Sustainable Development” has been adopted recently by consensus in the plenary of the Second Committee of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The resolution was tabled in September 2019 in this committee and after several rounds of exhilarating as well as contentious negotiations, the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh could achieve consensus of all member states of the UN for this resolution, according to a press release received here on Friday.
Along with India, China, Russia, Ireland, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Turkey, Egypt, and Nigeria, 68 countries have co-sponsored the resolution, it added.
During the adoption of the resolution, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current Government of Bangladesh has been adopting bold policies aiming at transforming the agriculture sector, promoting rural development, empowering the marginalized people and protecting smallholder farmers and small- scale producers”.
In continuation to that, Bangladesh took the lead to highlight the potential economic, social and environmental benefits of the natural plant fibers such as Jute which is fondly called the Golden Fiber in Bangladesh, he added.
UN Ambassador Masud hoped that the resolution will pave the way for fostering scientific research, development and cooperation at national, regional and global levels to ensure, in addition to its traditional use, the high end, value-added and innovative use of all lesser known natural plant fibers.
He thanked the member states across the region for their support in adopting the resolution.
This is the first resolution in the UN General Assembly that features the challenges as well as the potential of Jute and other natural plant fibers as economically viable, socially beneficial and environmentally sustainable agricultural products, the release said.
The resolution primarily focuses on jute and other natural fibers such as Abaca, Coir, Kenaf, Sisal, Hemp and Ramie which are lesser known to the international community and reiterates that the promotion of these fibres would contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
From now on, the resolution will be discussed in the Second Committee of the General Assembly biennially, the release added.
