PM Hasina urges big powers to respect global laws, treaties

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

PM urges big powers to respect global laws, treaties


Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

NEW YORK, Sept 25 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the powerful nations to respect international legal systems, treaties, and support fair and just application of the laws to have a flawless world order based on the rule of law.

She also underlined the importance of greater voice and representation of developing countries in major global institutions to ensure the principle of equity.

The Prime Minister, who is now in New York to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA), was addressing a high-level discussion on "Rule of Law" at UNGA Hall in the UN headquarters on Monday.

Sheikh Hasina said it is very unfortunate that given the current power structure and architecture of the global institutions, equitable applications of international law and realization of a fair global order based on the rule of law for all, remain an illusion.

"To have a fair world order based on the rule of law, powerful nations must respect international legal systems, multilateral treaties, and support fair and just application of customary international law in the multilateral decision-making process," she said.

The Prime Minister said it has become necessary to reaffirm mankind's faith in the fair and equitable application of the law, the UN charter, International Court of Justice and other global laws for peaceful settlement of disputes.

Multilateral institutions should also assist developing countries for their capacity-building efforts aimed at efficient implementation of the rule of law, she added.

Sheikh Hasina reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to peace and justice, and said, "Bangladesh believes in sovereignty, territorial integrity and non- interference in the internal
affairs of other nations."

"Bangladesh is a responsible, peace-loving nation and my government is a strong proponent of democracy, human rights, rule of law and secularism," the prime minister said.

Bangladesh, world's eighth largest democracy, is promoting its secular and progressive aspirations based on the rule of law and justice as the country believes that rule of law is a precondition for sustainable development goals, she added.

Expressing her personal commitment to peace, justice, development and women empowerment, she said her government is concentrating all efforts towards entrenching the rule of law at home and elsewhere.

"I shall continue doing the same with the active moral, ethical, and technical support of all stakeholders to the rule of law," she added.

She mentioned enactment of Legal Aid Services Regulation Act 2001 during her government's previous tenure to make the legal services affordable to the vulnerable and marginalized groups, particularly for women and minorities.

She said to strengthen democracy and the rule of law,
Bangladesh government has strengthened the Commissions on information, anti-corruption, human rights, law, energy regulation, and election.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has been associated with 14 international treaties to make its national laws on counterterrorism and anti-money laundering at par with international treaties.

She said Bangladesh has also making relentless efforts for regional peace with taking steps to resolve many long- standing problems with neighbouring countries. In this regard, she mentioned the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, signing of Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and settlement of dispute with Myanmar on maritime boundary.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has separated the judiciary from the executive to make it fully independent in delivering fair and equitable justice to people, and her government through constitutional amendments restored secularism and strengthened preventive measures to stop usurpation of state power by undemocratic forces.

On the basis of the rule of law and justice, she said, the government has concluded trials of religious extremists and terrorists and trials of the killers of the Father of the Nation. Trial of war criminals of Liberation War in 1971 is going on to deliver justice to people, she added.

The Prime Minister said a Citizens' Charter of Rights has been instituted in all public institutions to ensure that the government delivers the rule of law and public services to every citizen, she said.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

She must be reading from an Indian script. India should be told to respect international law and sanctity of treaties.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

PM renews demand for reforms of UN, WB, IMF

UNBconnect... - PM renews demand for reforms of UN, WB, IMF

She calls for overcoming the hangovers of past


Reported by: By Fahad Ferdous, UNB Staff Writer
Reported on: September 28, 2012 10:32 AM
Reported in: National

New York, Sept 27 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday renewed her demand for the reforms of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and other IFIs as their structures and decision-making processes reflect the 60-year-old power equations.

“I conclude by joining the vast majority of the UN members in reemphasising the urgent need to reform the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Institutions and other IFIs. Their structures and decision-making process reflect the 60-year-old power equations, serving the interests of a privileged few and ignoring the large majority,” she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the 67th UN General Assembly session in New York.

On April 21 this year, the Prime Minister, while delivering her speech at the 13th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) in Qatar, also strongly advocated for correction in the voting and decision-making in the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and International Monetary Fund) to ensure equitable voice of the vulnerable and developing countries.

Sheikh Hasina told the UNGA session that the new millennium with its large number of independent, sovereign states and globalisation has ushered in a changed world order.

“Today, we talk boldly of justice, equality, democracy, freedom, human rights, environment, and climate change adverse impacts, among others. They’re the priorities of our time which we must acknowledge in place of the hangovers of the past. The new world order of nations has to be based on justice, mutual respect and sovereign equality to evolve a world of peace and hope that we wish to leave for our future generations.

Hasina went on: “Our new world is experiencing people’s uprising, intra-state conflicts, climate change disasters, global financial crises, food and energy insecurity, human rights violations and terrorism… these and other problems call for collective efforts for peaceful resolution on the floor of the United Nations.”

Appreciating this year’s UNGA theme for deliberations, ‘Settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means’, Hasina said the alternate absence of democracy means social injustice, poverty, inequality, deprivation and marginalization and encouraging extremism and terrorism.

She informed the leaders of the UN member states that her government is strengthening democracy and justice by empowering people through eradicating poverty, hunger, inequality, and deprivation with social safety nets; job creation; inclusiveness, sustained growth and human development; and through countering terrorism.

The Prime Minister said that in her four decades of politics for the welfare of the people, she has learned that peace prevails when justice prevails, within the states, as well as in state to state relations. “Only justice ensures peace, (which is) vital for development, and justice is possible only through democracy, which empowers people.”

Recalling the role of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on establishing world peace, the Prime Minister said her government, based on his policy guidelines, settled country’s 20-year-old conflict in the country’s hill districts through the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997.

Hasina said her government also resolved a number of international issues by signing deals that include Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and a Protocol on border demarcation in the light of 1974 Land Boundary Agreement with India.

The present government also settled Maritime Boundary dispute with Myanmar peacefully at ITLOS, she added.

Besides, Hasina said, her government addressed mutual concerns over a dam proposed by India across the Tipaimukh River.

Referring to her ‘People’s Empowerment and Development’ model, which she presented at the 66th UNGA, the Prime Minister said it was endorsed by UNGA resolution 66/224 and adopted by consensus last year.

She said 62 countries have participated in an international conference in Dhaka on August 5-6, 2012 and extended support for considering the model in the 67th UNGA. Hasina also sought the UN Secretary General’s support for propagation of this model.

About climate change issue, the Prime Minister said the LDCs need greater international support for socio-economic security, including duty- and quota-free market access of their products and free movement of labor to all countries.

In this regard, she laid emphasis on immediate implementation of the Mode IV of the GATS to benefit both sending and receiving countries. She also reiterated her call for an international agreement limiting greenhouse gas emissions on the principle of common and differentiated responsibilities; on early operation of the “Green Climate Fund” for adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is a founder member of the UN Peace Building Commission and one of the top contributors to UN peacekeeping.

Giving elaborate descriptions on strengthening democracy, Hasina said her government, during its previous tenure, introduced weekly Prime Minister’s ‘Question and Answer’ hour in Parliament.

To ensure women empowerment, she said, her government has been providing free education for girls up to higher secondary school under the new Education Policy.

Hasina mentioned women are promoted to senior positions in the judicial, administrative, diplomatic fields, as well as in the armed and law enforcement services, and as UN peacekeepers.

All these efforts, Sheikh Hasina said, have contributed to reduce poverty by 10 percent, attaining GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent, enhancing per capita income by 34.6 percent, assisting employment of 7.5 million in the private and 0.5 million in the public sectors.

In view of the nation’s tragic experiences with terrorism, the present government had adopted a firm policy of ‘Zero Tolerance’ to terrorism, and all forms of extremism.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that country’s achievement on macro-economic stability; expansion of ICT facilities and e-services to the rural people and enrollment of almost 100 percent children in primary schools.

Besides, she added, her government ensured gender parity and established 12,000 community clinics to ensure nutrition and healthcare to rural people, especially mother and child.

These all have helped achieve MDG-3, MDG-4 and MDG-5 on gender parity, infant and maternal mortality, ahead of 2015, she said.

In this context, the Prime Minister mentioned global recognition to Bangladesh with MDGs, South-South and FAO awards.

Describing previous BNP-Jamaat government’s role of patronising terrorism and militancy, Sheikh Hasina said, bomb blasts were carried out at 500 places at a time on 17th August 2005.

She also mentioned the 21st August grenade attack, the killing former Finance Minister and Executive Director of ESCAP Mr. SAMS Kibria MP, grenade attacks on Former British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury and two popular judges inside the court premises during the previous government.

 

[kobiraaz]

Everyone slept during her speech. Specially indian delegation. They were too tired after writing the script for Hasina.