Rights bodies for focusing climate-migrant issue at UN meet

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UNB, Dhaka :
Rights bodies here on Thursday urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to revise her international negotiation strategies with a focus on the climate induced-migrant issue in the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants billed for September 19 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
As the Prime Minister will take part in the meeting, she should request the global leaders for a new compact for migrants which could be
legal policy regimes and frameworks, especially to look after the issues of climate induced displacement and migrants or immigrants’ rights, they said while addressing at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in the city. Nine rights-based civil society networking organisations organised the press conference. Among others, Kamrul Islam Chowdhury, President of Forum of Environment Journalist, Bangladesh; Md Masum of Coastal Development Partnership; Md Kawser Rahaman of Bangladesh Climate Change Journalist Forum, Aminur Rasul Babul of Unnayan Dhara Trust and Waliur Rahaman of WARBE Development Foundation spoke at the press conference moderated by Mostafa Kamal Akand of EquityBD. Key demands were read out by Syed Aminul Hoque of Equitybd. In his speech, Kamrul Islam Chowdhury said climate change is now affecting adversely agriculture, food security and damaging the ecosystem. “That’s why the affected people will be forced to move to another place.”
Noting that the country has no capacity to take this load like other developing and developed countries, he said the government should highlight this concern and put forward the demand for effective support.
He also proposed conducting a long term research to assess the climate migration, saying the government could take a strong position in international forums.
In his key demand, Syed Aminul Hoque said the climate induced-displacement and migrant issue is a common and national problem. “That’s why it must be focused nationally.”
He also proposed forming a “National Climate Commission” for integration of climate adaptation in budget and national planning and also to lead the climate negotiation at the international level.
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