UNB, Dhaka :
UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Migration and Development Sir Peter Sutherland here on Thursday stressed recognising the people displaced by environmental disasters and climate change as refugees.
“Why should only we protect the persecuted people and those who are running from terrible violence and not protect those in the same way escaping from environmental challenges?” he said adding that the definition of refugee should not be reduced to persecution rather it should be widened.
Sutherland came up with the remarks while presenting the keynote paper at a seminar titled, ‘Migration and Development: Challenges and Perspectives’ jointly organised by Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque moderated the programme held at BIISS auditorium.
“There’s an absolute obligation under the UN Convention 1951 to environmental refugees which is quite distinct… some people who are not defined as refugees as they’re not escaping persecution, but they’ re fleeing more danger caused by environmental disasters,” he said. The UN envoy said the issue of recognising the environmentally-displaced people, including those in
Bangladesh, as refugees should be focused properly as a vital element of drawing international attention. “We’ve an obligation to the migrants who are vulnerable and running from disasters.”
About the growing global migrant problem, Sutherland said people are now moving on between developed and developing countries for various reasons-discrimination, violence and persecution. “The world has an obligation to deal with this challenge and protect the migrants and their rights.”
He, however, said local politicians also have to focus on this difficult issue constructively to face this challenge along with the global community. The UN envoy praised Bangladesh’s role in bringing the migration issue in the UN’s sustainable development agenda as an important topic.
Sutherland observed that migrant population everywhere in the world turn as economic force. “Migration creates jobs and it doesn’t create unemployment.”
He, however, stressed the need for ensuring the rights and dignity of migrant people by their recruiters. “The process of recruiting migrants by their employers should be fair and justified so that they aren’t deprived of their due rights.”
Stating that trafficking of women and children is a very odious act, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative said there is require a great deal of international efforts to stop it.
Speaking at the programme, foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said, “I think economically, technically and also socially we’ve made a tremendous progress over a couple of decades. At the same time, we also see major disruptions, conflicts and inequalities that are creating difficult situations for many people. But, there’s one issue which has drawn global attention is human mobility.”
He said, the recent UN statistics suggest 244 million people (about 3.3 of the total world population) are on the move. “We think the world has now become much safer and productive for migrant population”.
Seventh GFMP Chair Ambassador Eva Akermann Borje said Bangladesh and her country Sweden have achieved a lot in focusing on migration issue and including it in the 2020-2030 development agenda.
She said the global leaders should work sincerely with a commitment to improve the working condition of migrant people and facilitate a safer and responsible migration.
John Bingham, ICMC, Global Civil Society Coordinator focused on coordinated efforts from both the government and the civil society to create a better world for migration.
He said, Bangladesh as the current chair of Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will play a vital role in connecting civil society with government and global with national in ensuring the rights and welfare of migrant people.
UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Migration and Development Sir Peter Sutherland here on Thursday stressed recognising the people displaced by environmental disasters and climate change as refugees.
“Why should only we protect the persecuted people and those who are running from terrible violence and not protect those in the same way escaping from environmental challenges?” he said adding that the definition of refugee should not be reduced to persecution rather it should be widened.
Sutherland came up with the remarks while presenting the keynote paper at a seminar titled, ‘Migration and Development: Challenges and Perspectives’ jointly organised by Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque moderated the programme held at BIISS auditorium.
“There’s an absolute obligation under the UN Convention 1951 to environmental refugees which is quite distinct… some people who are not defined as refugees as they’re not escaping persecution, but they’ re fleeing more danger caused by environmental disasters,” he said. The UN envoy said the issue of recognising the environmentally-displaced people, including those in
Bangladesh, as refugees should be focused properly as a vital element of drawing international attention. “We’ve an obligation to the migrants who are vulnerable and running from disasters.”
About the growing global migrant problem, Sutherland said people are now moving on between developed and developing countries for various reasons-discrimination, violence and persecution. “The world has an obligation to deal with this challenge and protect the migrants and their rights.”
He, however, said local politicians also have to focus on this difficult issue constructively to face this challenge along with the global community. The UN envoy praised Bangladesh’s role in bringing the migration issue in the UN’s sustainable development agenda as an important topic.
Sutherland observed that migrant population everywhere in the world turn as economic force. “Migration creates jobs and it doesn’t create unemployment.”
He, however, stressed the need for ensuring the rights and dignity of migrant people by their recruiters. “The process of recruiting migrants by their employers should be fair and justified so that they aren’t deprived of their due rights.”
Stating that trafficking of women and children is a very odious act, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative said there is require a great deal of international efforts to stop it.
Speaking at the programme, foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said, “I think economically, technically and also socially we’ve made a tremendous progress over a couple of decades. At the same time, we also see major disruptions, conflicts and inequalities that are creating difficult situations for many people. But, there’s one issue which has drawn global attention is human mobility.”
He said, the recent UN statistics suggest 244 million people (about 3.3 of the total world population) are on the move. “We think the world has now become much safer and productive for migrant population”.
Seventh GFMP Chair Ambassador Eva Akermann Borje said Bangladesh and her country Sweden have achieved a lot in focusing on migration issue and including it in the 2020-2030 development agenda.
She said the global leaders should work sincerely with a commitment to improve the working condition of migrant people and facilitate a safer and responsible migration.
John Bingham, ICMC, Global Civil Society Coordinator focused on coordinated efforts from both the government and the civil society to create a better world for migration.
He said, Bangladesh as the current chair of Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will play a vital role in connecting civil society with government and global with national in ensuring the rights and welfare of migrant people.
