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Dr Yunus’s address at UNGA is visionary, laudable and inspiring  

Published : Tuesday, 1 October, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 589
MIR MOSHARREF HOSSAIN PAKBIR
Dr Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, delivered a remarkable and visionary speech on September 27 at the 79th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), leaving an indelible mark on the global stage. He is the 31st Nobel Laureate who has been serving in capacity of a Head of State. In his speech, Dr. Yunus not only showcased his deep understanding of the national, regional and global pressing issues but also offered a compelling vision for a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future. His call for collective global action to combat climate change, eliminate poverty, and promote social business resonated with leaders and audiences worldwide, reinforcing his legacy as a pioneer in economic and social innovation.

For Dr Muhammad Yunus, the United Nations is a second home, not just a worldwide forum. He has been a frequent visitor at the UN over the years, promoting inclusive development, social enterprise, and the eradication of poverty. Hence, his return to the UNGA platform as the head of Bangladesh's interim government felts like a logical extension of his career goal, elevating his vision for a more equal world to the forefront of international diplomacy.

Unlike the previous regime, which attended the past UNGAs with huge team wasting people's money, Dr. Yunus attended the UNGA with a lean team for a change. In the midst of global discussions and speculation surrounding Bangladesh's revolt in July, he was tasked with a major duty to clarify the genuine goals and objectives of the Bangladeshi people. We applaud the chief adviser for skillfully conveying these feelings to the world during his UNGA speech. Rightfully, Dr. Yunus commended the bravery and tenacity of the Bangladeshi people, the armed forces, and especially the youth for opposing the injustice, corruption, and repression of fundamental rights that distinguished the previous dictatorial administration. 

Dr Yunus mentioned that, Bangladesh was born because of the people's profound belief in liberalism, pluralism, secularism and decades later, the 'Generation Z' is making us reconsider and reimagine the very values that Bangladeshi people stood for back in 1971 as well as in 1952, to defend their mother tongue, Bengali. After the end of Hasina-regime and formation of the interim government under the leadership of Dr. Yunus, many feared that anti-liberation forces will receive a boost but his thoughtful remarks recognizing 1971 Liberation War and 1952 Language Movement actually offset those speculations to an extent. He also extended an invitation to all nations to further their cooperation with Bangladesh in pursuing democracy, the rule of law, equality, and prosperity.

The global society had previously praised Bangladesh's economic development but had also pointed out the country's shortcomings in terms of democracy and human rights. Dr Yunus expressed his commitment to promote and protect the fundamental rights - to speak in freedom, to assemble without fear or inhibition, to vote freely, to uphold the independence of the judiciary and freedom of press, including in the cyber domain. His message was clear that, democratic practices, human rights, rule of law and freedom of speech will see a positive notion in today's Bangladesh.

The chief adviser also offered a conceptual framework for Bangladesh and the global community to develop a society that is more wealthy, peaceful, and sustainable. He outlined two existential risks to human civilization - climate change and the possibility of unchecked AI growth distressing the labor market. Immediately after taking office, Dr. Yunus had experienced the terrible outcome of the climate change in the form of deadly floods in 12 districts of Bangladesh. He, hence, duly elaborated the need of global collaboration to address the threats of climate change.

Especially noteworthy was Dr. Yunus's emphasis on the transforming potential of social enterprise. He emphasized how these businesses, whose goals are to solve society problems rather than increase profits, may play a significant role in tackling the underlying causes of inequality. More so in a world where economic inequality is growing, his message touched a chord. In addition, his fervent advocacy of climate justice demonstrated his steadfast dedication to safeguarding vulnerable communities.

Dr Yunus assured that, in order to restore people's trust and confidence, and to ensure that the tragic past never recur in future Bangladesh, his government has initiated reforms in certain prioritized sectors. Due to the heavy corruptions and malpractices in these sectors, such reforms were continuously demanded by the July-protesters and it is a critical duty for the interim government to complete those reforms before declaring a general election.

The chief adviser also mentioned that, to create a compassionate environment for business, the interim government has rolled out extensive reforms in banking and financial sectors. He also affirmed not to let any foreign business interest to be affected. Notably, the economy and financial performance of Bangladesh in the upcoming years is of the greatest concern. If the interim government can ensure a business-friendly economy and policy with zero tolerance to corruption, Bangladesh can reach new heights.

The chief adviser also raised the important topic of the huge amounts of money that the corrupt embezzle from developing countries every year. In order to promote Bangladesh's democratic transition and prosperity, he voiced his hope that the international community will collaborate with the interim government to recover the wealth that the former regime had embezzled from the country.

We believe, Dr Yunus will be able to open up new commercial opportunities for the nation with his actions as well as his international reputation and influence among our developing partners. For instance, in reaction to hazardous conditions in the apparel industry, US President Obama's government suspended GSP facility in June 2013. Bangladesh has paid millions of dollars in taxes as a result of losing the GSP facility. Our economy will greatly benefit if we are able to obtain the GSP facility, which can be possible due to Dr. Yunus' friendly relationship with US President Joe Biden and the US administration. 

The visionary leader also underscored the importance of global cooperation, urging nations to rise above narrow self-interests and work together towards shared goals. He shared his belief that the world needs to engage on a shared vision of 'three zeroes' that the world can materialize together targeting zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. Though it seems very hard to achieve, if we do not dream, we cannot make something a reality. Hence, his commitment to the 'three zeroes' is actually a visionary guidance to the global leaders.

Yunus also stressed the necessity of aggressive efforts by the world community to put an end to all wars. He called attention to the catastrophe that was taking place in Gaza in front of the entire world and emphasized how urgent it was to put an end to the genocide against Palestinians. In order to preserve lives and bring stability back to the world, he also emphasized how important it is to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Dr Yunus profoundly brought the Rohingya crisis under limelight. Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, incurring significant social-economic-environmental costs for over 7 years. He mentioned that, the protracted crisis in Myanmar also pose growing risks with national and regional security implications for Bangladesh. He called for continued support of the international community towards the Rohingyas in carrying out the humanitarian operations and their sustainable repatriation with a free and dignified life. 

The chief adviser also demanded to ensure justice for the grave human rights violations committed against the Rohingyas, through the ongoing accountability processes in the ICJ and the ICC. Sheikh Hasina-led government had critically failed in engaging the global community in repatriation efforts of the Rohingyas and hopefully Dr. Yunus-led interim government will be able to bring in some positive global political and economic efforts to compel the Myanmar government to ensure safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas soon.

Apart from his address at the UNGA, Dr Yunus met with several world leaders including the US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Nepal, Chinese Foreign Minister as well as the President of the European Union, the US Secretary of State, the UN Secretary-General, the UN Human Rights chief, the World Bank President, and the USAID Administrator during his visit. He was cordially received by all these global leaders and heads of our development partners and that truly depicts his charisma and global acceptance.

The UNGA address of Dr. Muhammad Yunus was not only a testament to his profound wisdom but also an inspiration to millions, reminding the world of the boundless potential of human ingenuity when harnessed for the greater good. His words were not only limited towards his duty as the head of state of Bangladesh but also included his ideas of a better and enlightened world. His urge to engage with the new Bangladesh may open many new doors. We hope his address will inspire us to strengthen his hands to establish a more progressive and humanizing Bangladesh.

The writer is Chief Editor at Mohammadi News Agency (MNA) and Editor at Kishore Bangla



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