Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York, has urged the NAM member states to remain engaged and put more efforts so that Myanmar authorities do not fail in taking Rohingya people back.
Ambassador Masud came up with the call while delivering the national statement at the debate of the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau in Caracas of Venezuela on Sunday, according to a message received here on Monday. The theme of the debate was ‘Promotion and consolidation of peace through respect for international law’.
Referring to the oppression against the Palestinian people and violations of international law and international human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territory, Masud cautioned that mere expression of concerns for the misdeeds in Palestine and other places in the world did not stop these from recurring again.
“Therefore, we must ensure that nations respect international law, and the international community should take necessary measures to hold accountable the perpetrators responsible for crimes against humanity such as those took place against the Rohingyas in Rakhaine State of Myanmar,” he said.
Noting that misunderstanding and cross cultural ignorance are among the root causes of conflicts that have been seen today, he said: “International law which is an essential tool for the protection, maintenance and consolidation of peace draws upon the principles of peace expressed by great scholars and thinkers of the past”.
“Leaders of our past generation placed them in the social and political context of the present time to dissipate the clouds of prejudice, ignorance and vested interests that stand in the way of world peace and harmony. It is thus a very precious possession of all human beings, which must be carefully protected and nurtured,” the envoy said.
Recalling the decision taken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to join NAM in 1973, he said Bangladesh, inspired by his legacy, still finds the activities of Non-aligned Movement relevant even the world is facing many new and critical challenges, including weaponisation, securitisation of frontier technologies, climate change, protectionism and clashes among cultures.
Masud highlighted Bangladesh’s successes in various socioeconomic sectors under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The ministerial meeting was attended by 16 ministers and high level representatives of 85 countries from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean region.
The meeting was chaired by the Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza Montserrat. President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, addressed the meeting on July 20. The meeting was preceded by the senior officials meeting where the NAM outcome document was negotiated.
Masud Bin Momen led a two-member Bangladesh delegation at the meeting, which took place in the capital city of Venezuela from July 17 to 21.
