The objective of the event was to sensitise owners and managers in Bangladesh’s apparel industry on including skilled workers with disabilities in the mainstream work force. The discussants of the event emphasised the right to work and employment of persons with disabilities as mentioned in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). During the event, examples of good practices on employing persons with disabilities were highlighted.

Mr A B M Khorshed Alam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, emphasised in his speech that the apparel sector needs more skilled workers to cater to the services needed in the industry. He acknowledged the contribution of the sector in encouraging the training service providers to include persons with disabilities in skills trainings.

The Guest of Honour, His Excellency Dr Thomas Prinz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, highlighted the importance and advantages of an inclusive workforce by saying, “The common focus of German Development Cooperation and the Government of Bangladesh is on more self-determination and participation for persons with disabilities. This means not ‘offering services for persons with disabilities’ but enabling them to full participation in society.”

Dr Jochen Weikert, Programme Coordinator, GIZ, addressed, ”Through its Inclusive Job Centre, the PSES project matches persons with disabilities who are prepared to work in the textile industry with suitable training opportunities and encourages factory owners to employ them. At the same time, PSES targets factories that are interested in employing disabled persons and helps find individuals to fill relevant vacancies.”

Mr AHM Noman Khan, Executive Director, CDD, appraised the fact that more than 170 managers already committed themselves to address inclusion in their factories. CDD and GIZ are looking forward to continuing their support to these and other interested factories.

Special Guest, Mr Siddiqur Rahman, President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said, “’Our experience says that a person with disability can perform even better and are usually more loyal to the factories. However, there are some challenges in employing disabled persons, for example, workplace cooperation and ergonomics. We need to overcome these with the support from all. We do also need special assistance to ensure a disability friendly work place. Our factories are individually trying to address all the areas and concerns, but they need more awareness and training to develop a culture of workplace cooperation.”

In a panel discussion and knowledge sharing session representatives from GIZ, International Labour Organization (ILO), BGMEA, CDD, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Beximco Textiles, Posmi Sweaters Ltd and National Skills Development Council (NSDC) discussed the challenges of inclusive economic growth for the apparel industry. Equal access to dignified employment for persons with disabilities and the importance of vocational skills development were also broadly discussed.

Since 2014, GIZ made advisory services available for more than 175 enterprises in the RMG sector with the support of professionals and its partner CDD. GIZ also supported the Inclusive Job Centre (IJC) since 2015, which was established in the premises of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Parlaysed (CRP), Mirpur. IJC provided assessment, counseling, placement in trainings and employment, rehabilitation, assistive devices and demand based support for more than 450 persons with disabilities.

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It is wonderful to see this dedication recognised.” Of more than 500 development organisations worldwide, NGO ADVISOR placed BRAC first, based on its impact, innovation and sustainability. BRAC was praised for its holistic approach to fighting poverty, treating it as a system of interrelated barriers that must be addressed concurrently. The ranking also highlighted the organisation’s history of designing and implementing solutions at scale.

Other notable NGOs in the top 500 include Doctors Without Borders in the second position, Oxfam in fifth, Save the Children in the ninth, and Grameen Bank in the 12th position. NGO ADVISOR combines academic rigour with journalistic integrity and autonomy, evaluating each organisation based upon its objective merits. Co-founded by Jean-Christophe Nothias, a journalist formerly with The Global Journal, the rankings methodology was first developed in 2009. Over the years, Nothias enlisted experts at The University of Geneva and partners from the non-profit sector to improve the evaluation metrics.

Today, NGO ADVISOR presents its findings to an international audience of donors, volunteers, journalists, researchers, diplomats and non-profit leaders to showcase best practices and mirror the evolving values of the global community.

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Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources, yet 700 million people still do not have access to clean and safe water. The 2016 United Nations World Water Development Report estimates that some 2 billion people require access to improved sanitation, with girls and women especially disadvantaged. Despite progress, 2.4 billion are still using unimproved sanitation facilities, including 946 million people who are still practicing open defecation.

Addressing challenges of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, water quality and safety, as well as examining solutions for water treatment and wastewater management in rural areas and during crisis are the focus of the vital panel discussion on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Innovations & Good Practice at the upcoming AIDF Asia Summit on 21-22 June 2016 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.

Water and sanitation are crucial for ensuring effective health response during emergency situations. Hear from Dr AnurakAmornpetchsathaporn, Director of Bureau of Public Health Emergency Response, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, who has confirmed to speak at the AIDF Asia Summit.

WASH Partnership & Initiatives will be explored in a roundtable discussion lead by LalithDassenaike, Regional Manager & Coordinator GWP Advisory Centre, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Sri Lanka.

They join water experts from civil society, UN agencies, governments, investors, research institutes and the private sector to provide an updated on Health Programmes for Disease Prevention and Control in South East Asia. Current health threats, regional health programmes and vaccinations, testing, monitoring will be amongst the topics for discussion.

Providing adequate drinking water supplies, disease-preventing sanitation facilities, early warning and resilience for water-related disasters remain major challenges. Therefore improved technologies, better research as well as closer collaboration and partnership between various levels of government, aid agencies, UN, investors and private sector are critical.

Dr Shamika Sirimanne, Director of Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, UN ESCAP commented on previous AIDF Asia Summit:

“I think AIDF summit is very good summit and has brought together very different stakeholders across government, UN agencies, private sector & NGO’s into one platform to discuss the frontier developments in addressing disaster reduction and other sustainable development agendas. Going forward UN will come with sustainable development and what we are discussing in the meeting that AIDF has organised is how especially the Asia Pacific region and South East Asia can prepare for achieving sustainable development goals that the UN will be bringing in near future”.

Hear first-hand from experts at UNESCAP, USAID, Save the Children, UNOPS, IRFC, FHI 360, IRC, UNESCO, IOM, WFP, Habitat for Humanity International, World Vision, ADPC, GIZ, and many more.

AIDF aims to bring all actors together in one room to tackle these important issues on water security, sanitation and disaster management.

To learn more about water related issues in South East Asia and take action to make a difference, visit https://goo.gl/w6CnAL or email Alina O’Keeffe at [email protected] to request participation.

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Experts said these in High Level Multi-logue on ‘Loss and Damage from Climate Change in Banglades’ on Thursday afternoon at Long Beach Suites Dhaka. They engaged in a conversation with experts across sectors towards collective solutions that reduce and manage loss and damage so that social, developmental and environmental gains are sustainable.

The event jointly organized by ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) brought together government, business, INGOs, NGOs, academics, donors and multilaterals talking about the losses and damages from climate change faced by the country.

” Loss and damage will occur if we do things badly. We have a cyclone happening in July now in Bangladesh. Climate change is going to make things more erratic,” said Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate and Development

“We have representation from researchers academics, development organizations, government and private sector as well. Somehow we need to come together, because we can’t work in silos on this issue,” said Farah Kabir from ActionAid Bangladesh.

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) reduces vulnerabilities to hazards through better preparedness and management of resources while climate change adaptation (CCA) enhances resilience to climatic uncertainty. Loss and Damage (L&D) are the impacts of climate change that people cannot cope with or adapt to. For a long-term climate resiliency strategy, we need to have synergies between DRR, CCA, sustainable development, and L&D.

Bangladesh experiences both economic (property, infrastructure) and non-economic (lives, ecosystems) loss and damage from climatic change. The losses and damages on business and society from climate change impacts cannot be ignored and there is a need to come up with adequate solutions to minimize and manage such losses and damages.

“We will push this issue of loss and damage harder and forward and we need inputs from all of you,” said Dr. Nurul Quadir Joint Secretary (Environment) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and member of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Multilogue Series is a dialogue initiative driven by ActionAid Bangladesh, in collaboration with Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), to actively promote discussions about emerging disaster management and climate change issues. By continually engaging new and existing stakeholders, the goal is to develop comprehensive resiliency strategies.

More information about this program

The Multilogue Series is a dialogue initiative driven by ActionAid Bangladesh, in collaboration with Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), to actively promote discussions about emerging disaster management and climate change issues. By continually engaging new and existing stakeholders, the goal is to develop comprehensive resiliency strategies.

2015 is a pivotal year the international community, who look to establish the next phase of Development Goals (from MDGs to SDGs. This Multilogue series was born after the 2012 UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Sendai with the 1st session aimed to establish linkages between the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) and a post-Sendai framework for DRR. A crucial aspect of that process pertains to international governmental commitments and agreements that combat climate change; to establish a post-Kyoto Protocol framework which will be negotiated at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris this December, 2015.

The second edition of the Multilogue series aims to further unpack the key elements of climate resiliency strategies leading into COP21 and beyond. Another important, yet underrepresented, component of climate resiliency – alongside DRR – is the concept of Loss and Damage (L&D). In the faces of a changing change, “future loss and damage is potentially of unimaginable magnitude” (Barbados, 2012).

Bangladesh Experience of L&D
Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable to climate change (Maplecroft, 2010), experienced 247 extreme events from 1991-2011, equating to an average annual death toll of 824, and average annual financial loss of USD 1.7 billion or 1.18 percent of annual GDP. (Harmeling and Eckstein, 2012).

Floods in 2007 inundated 42% of total land area, killing 1,110 people, affected 14 million people, submerged 21,000 sq. km of agricultural land, completely destroyed 85,000 homes, damaged 31,533 km of road; and costing USD 1.1 billion (World Bank, 2010). Cyclones Sidr (2007) produced a financial L&D of $1.67 billion (Daspugta, et al., 2011) or 2.6% loss of GDP, with s death toll of 3,402. Severe cyclones are expected every 3 years in Bangladesh (MoEF, 2009)

The annual water-level in the south-west region is increasing by 5.5 mm/year (Rahman et al, 2011) where salinization is having a devastating impact on agriculture productivity), biodiversity and health issues. An estimated 62 cm rise by 2080 would equate to 4,690 sq. km or 13% of coastal region landmass being flooded (IWM & CEGIS) while 1 meter raise of sea level would equate to 17% of Bangladesh submerged under sea water (BCCSAP, 2009).

By 2050, the total additional investment needed to cope with a changing climate will total about US$2.4 billion, with an annual recurrent cost of more than US$50 million. The projection of damage from cyclone out to 2050 will result in an additional financial L&D of $4.56 billion, in addition to a conservative estimate of monetized loss from additional deaths and injuries of $1.03 billion (Dasgupta et al., 2011).

This Multilogue will explore:
– The harmonization of DRR, CCA, Sustainable Development, L&D for better preparedness and readiness activities;
– How key national institutions can mobilize and deploy appropriate resiliency measures where DRR, CCA and L&D approaches intertwine and influence each other
– The types of policy changes needed at the national level to integrate institutionalise climate approaches across the sectors;

– The systems needed to establish Common but Differentiated Responsibility amongst global community and the role Bangladesh plays.

The reality is: DRR & Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) measures are ‘capped’, subject to limitations and/or failure. Without the recognition and incorporation of Loss & Damage to development approaches, resiliency strategies will never be fully realized, complete or comprehensive. There is a need to consider the synergies, while respecting the difference between DRR, adaptation, mitigation, sustainable development and L&D.

This event, along with future discussion, will set an agenda that highlights the demands and expectation for negotiation at COP21 in Paris, which are crucial to establish a foundation on which comprehensive resiliency approaches can be build and expand.

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The important meeting brought in learnings from a review of conservation trust funds from across the world, and extensively discussed the background document that sets out the business case, and the memorandum and articles of association of the proposed trust fund, as well as defining the key milestones from proposal to implementation stages.

This is part of the effort being made by the three-year Darwin Initiative funded research project between the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and the Department of Fisheries to make recommendations for ways to enhance the effectiveness of the incentive-based fisheries management.

The Honourable Minister said: “I express my gratitude to the Darwin-Hilsa project for taking this initiative. Establishment of Hilsa Conservation Trust Fund is very timely when our hilsa fishery is under pressure of exploitation due to increase of population and climate change effects.”

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is one of the most important single-species fisheries in the Bay of Bengal. More than half a million people depend on it for their livelihood and 250 million Bengali people depend on it for nutrition.

But in the face of over-exploitation, scientists and policymakers feared a collapse of the fish stock in the near future, which led the Bangladeshi government to declare five sites in the fishing grounds as ‘hilsa sanctuaries’, where fishing is banned during the breeding season. To compensate for lost earnings, the government provides ‘affected’ fisher communities, which total more than 200,000 households, with food and alternative income-generating activities.

Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed, a senior researcher with IIED said: “The Government of Bangladesh is rare in that it recognised the impact of restricted fishing activities on fisher households and moved to compensate them. The Government’s actions are unique in that they have now been running this compensation without any external assistance for over ten years, for which they should be commended.”

The Honourable Minister added: “I hope that the workshop would discuss the Hilsa Conservation Trust Fund documents critically and recommend appropriate measures for improvement. Following this workshop, a revised draft document of the trust fund will be submitted to the Department of Fisheries for review and submit to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock for further action. I give you assurance that all possible measures will be taken by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock for establishment of the Hilsa Conservation Trust Fund in Bangladesh for sustainable development, conservation and management of our national fish.”

In another development on June 3 to 4, Dr Syed Arif Azad, Director General of the Department of Fisheries flew to Brussels to speak on the importance of the Darwin-Hilsa project learnings* for Bangladesh and other country governments, at the European Development Days Forum, alongside researchers from IIED and BAU.

Dr Azad said: “It was important for the Department of Fisheries to share Bangladesh’s unique learnings on fisheries management. We welcome the learnings from this research project and look forward to using them to make the Government scheme even more effective in the future.”

The project team also officially submitted both the background document and the memorandum and articles of association of the Hilsa Conservation Trust Fund.

Dr Azad said: “We will take these recommendations seriously and I hope they will enable us to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the incentive-based scheme for hilsa management. We will continue to work with IIED and other development partners to pursue the ratification process of the proposed Hilsa Conservation Trust Fund. We hope to see it up and running.”

About the organizers:

Bangladesh Agricultural University: Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) is the premier seat of higher agricultural education and research in the country. The university was established as the nation’s only university of its kind in session 1961-62 on the basis of recommendations made by the Commission of National Education and the Food and Agriculture Commission in 1959. The university formally came into existence on 2 September 1961. The missions of Bangladesh Agricultural University have been to develop the art and science of agriculture for the wellbeing of mankind, and to educate agriculturists of high standards of scientific, managerial and professional competence in harmony with the environment, and to share knowledge and skills with world partners.

Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies: The Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is an independent, non-profit, non-government, policy, research and implementation institute working on Sustainable Development (SD) at local, national, regional and global levels. It was established in 1986 and over 25 years and has grown to become a leading research institute in the non-government sector in Bangladesh and South Asia.

IIED: The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is an independent, non-profit research institute. Set up in 1971 and based in London, IIED provides expertise and leadership in researching and achieving sustainable development.

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State Minister for Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, at the round table titled – Tobacco Control Law and Smoke-free Environment, said that only law is not enough to control tobacco use. Tobacco promoting companies are paying advance money to the farmers for tobacco cultivation. Tobacco farming also reduces the lands fertility and this issue should be informed to the farmers and the mass people.

Motiur Rahman, the editor of the Daily Prothom Alo, said that Prothom Alo publishes such issues by its own initiative which is helpful for the commoners. He also said that anti-tobacco or anti-drugs advertisements are published free of costs on the newspaper and will be done so in future.

Parliament Member (MP) Fazilatunnesa Bappi said that in 2012-13 fiscal years, tobacco has been grown on 70 thousand hectares of lands. And in last year the land quantity stood by 108,000 hectares. To discourage tobacco farming, she said that electricity for irrigation facility should be stopped or the fertilizer packets should contain words like this – ‘The fertilizer should not be used for tobacco cultivation’. The MP also showed some images how the tobacco companies are advertising their products in different universities.

Anti-tobacco activists and organization representatives participated at the round table discussion. Participants also said that tobacco companies are on the view that they provide a huge amount of tax to the government. But the damages for smoking and the government’s expenditure for the health costs are almost 10 times to the tax that the government receives from the tobacco companies.

They added that the government has formulated the tobacco control act in 2005 and accordingly amended the act in 2013, but the Rules for the act has been gazetted in March 12, 2015. The anti-tobacco organizations allege that the Rules finalization took much time for the interference of the tobacco companies in this process.

Iqbal Masud, Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission said that big tobacco companies are not abiding by the law. They adopt different techniques to decorate the stores where their brands are sold so that the customers could get attracted to their respective brands.

When mobile courts are on drive, they show different hand-outs that such drives are not the responsibilities of the mobile courts. But they should be made understand that they are bound to follow the law.

Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, Joint Secretary of Law and Justice Department said that considering the harmful effects of smoking, Juvenile Smoking Act was formulated in 1919. The smoking has not been stopped even after 100 years. He also opined that diarrhea has been prevented for a strong campaign and such a campaign is required to stop smoking.

Reaz Ahmed, assignment editor of the Daily Star, citing Russia said that non-smokers can take food at restaurants but the smokers are to take foods outside of the same restaurant. Besides, smoking has been controlled in different countries by imposing a heavy taxation.

Anisul Haque, Assistant Editor of Prothom Alo said that once smoking was highlighted on stories, novel, cinema and dramas and the situation has been changed. However, some of the characters are seen smoking in some satellite channels.

Representation of the characters is also possible without cigarettes. The participants asked the mass media to come forward in smoking prevention. Shahnaj Munni News Editor of ATN Bangla opined that the law enforcers also should be brought under accountability.

Amin Ul Ahsan, former Coordinator of NTCC under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the amended tobacco control act has banned showing smoking in all media including television. If that is necessary, there are specific directions too and the mass media should take measures about the issue.

Mekhla Sarker, Assistant Professor of National Institute of Mental Health said that when people see someone smoking on screen for removing their depression, they start believing that smoking is helpful for cutting their depressions too and a logical issue but there is no scientific evidence over the fact.

He also said that the rate of smoking among female teens has increased recently. They should be taught that smoking causes damage from their tip to toe and even that may cause damage to their reproductive health or increases the chances of looking them older than actually they are.

Another Assistant Professor of the same institute, Helal Ahmed, said that children are the worst sufferers of the passive smoking. Due to passive smoking, there are changes in the behavioral patterns of the kids, they turn over smart and do not abide by anything. He opined that the foundation course of police, magistrates and other law enforcing agencies should be attached with the curriculum.

Associate Editor of Prothom Alo, Abdul Quayum, moderated the event.
​https://epaper.prothom-alo.com/view/dhaka/2015-04-19/20

(Note: This is the translated version of the original report as it published in bangla)

In connection to that a report also published in the daily star today. You can see detail in the following link:
​https://www.thedailystar.net/city/stop-tobacco-farming-paddy-jute-fields-78024

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Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO in collaboration with Asian Center for Environmental Health jointly hosted a consultation for the discussion of: alternative dental amalgam curriculum; development of guidelines for the control of, supply and manufacture of mercury amalgam; the management of mercury waste, and for the ultimate elimination of mercury from dentistry on a national scale.

In association with World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry (WAMFD) the consultation titled “Legislation & Alternative Curriculum towards Mercury Free Dentistry” was held yesterday, March 14, 2015, Saturday, at 10:30 am at Taj Lily Green, House #751, 11th Floor, Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

The following high-profile guests were present at the event: Major General Md. Jahangir Hossain Mollik, Directorate General of Drug Administration, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Gov. of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as Chief Guest; Brigadier General Golum Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Advisor Specialist in Dentistry, Combined Military hospital, Dhaka, as a guest of honour. Syed Marghub Murshed, Former Secretary, Government of Bangladesh and Chairperson of ESDO presided the program. The keynote speaker of the program was Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General, ESDO; Vice President (South Asia), World Alliance of Mercury Free Dentistry, and UNEP Mercury Expert.

In his address, Brig. General Golum Mohiuddin Chowhury, Guest of Honour, highlighted the importance of national regulation to ban the use, import and sell of mercury amalgam by 2016-2020. He said, “It is a high-time that the Government of Bangladesh thinks about the phase-out of mercury amalgam.”

Within the discussion, Assistant Professor, Dr. Mirza Arifur Rahman, Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Dental Society commended ESDO’s recommendation to stop the use of mercury amalgam in the treatment of women and children by the end of 2015.

In his closing remarks, Major General Md. Jahangir Hossain Mollik, Chief Guest, said, “We highly support ESDO’s drive to develop an alternative dental curriculum. One outcome from ESDO’s initiatives in the field of dentistry is that we have prepared a draft standard guideline for the use of restricted drugs and materials, including mercury amalgam, for use in hospitals, chambers and private clinics.”

Addressing the group, Dr Hossain, keynote speaker, said, “If awareness about mercury in dentistry is created then we can create a momentum for policy and implement mercury-free alternatives in time to fulfil the Minamata Convention by 2020.” The Minamata Convention is a United Nations-led global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

The session chair, Mr. Marghub Murshed, expressed his pleasure at the active participation of all participants and their willingness to join the various initiatives of mercury free dentistry. He urged for strong steps from all dentists and institutions to put a stop the use of mercury amalgam for fillings.
During the event, all distinguished guests shed light on the issues and praise the efforts of ESDO jointly taken with Asian Center for Environmental Health and WAMFD.

Mercury in dentistry is a significant source of environmental contamination and a serious threat to public health. Mercury amalgam is routinely used by dentists as a filling material for cavities in teeth, but it can have major health implications that include memory loss and kidney and brain damage in children. Mercury also leaks into atmosphere and the water supply when it is used during dental procedures, causing mercury pollution, which can be harmful to fish and reduce soil fertility and productivity.

As a result, ESDO makes the following recommendations:
Ø Make it an immediate priority to stop the use of mercury amalgam in the treatment of children and pregnant women to be end now.

Ø Develop an alternative dental curriculum with a specific chapter on the dental restoration process of amalgam, its harm to dental staff, patients and the environment and safe removal procedure of existing amalgam filling by the end of 2015.

Ø Ratify Minamata Convention as soon as possible and impose import ban of Mercury.

Ø Pass national regulation to ban the use, import and sell of mercury amalgam by 2016

The post Valuable discussion about mercury-free dentistry and legislation at ESDO consultation appeared first on NGO News, Latest NGO News, Fund for NGO, NGO News Update.

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Where: RIGGS INN, 9 Road 23/A, Gulshan 1 Dhaka 1212

When: 4-6th March 2015, Dhaka, 5th March there will be an interactive session with Press at 12:45-5:00 PM

Background
Given women’s critical role in food security and sustainable agriculture, it is crucial that women’s contribution in agriculture and food security is recognized. At the same time, it is urgently required to highlight the challenges women face in playing multi faceted role for the family, for the society, and for the whole nation. There is a need to support rural women to take on strong leadership roles by strengthening their movements and raising their voices from village to country and international levels, and informing opinion- and policymakers about their issues that will minimise the barriers to rural women’s assertion of their rights and their recognition as powerful agents in food security and agricultural development.

At the Regional Women Farmer Forum around 5-6 champion rural women from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will share their stories, the problems they have to face day by day, will bring their voices together, identify their common issues and demands, develop a joint action plan and help them realize their power to bring changes in their current situation. The event will be attended by media representatives from the region.

An exhibition of photos and different communication material from and about the women farmers will be presented at the venue. A cultural event will be organized and presented by the participants to get to know each other better and socialize.

A multi-country research on Women and Land Rights – including country case studies of India, Nepal and Pakistan – will be launched at the event, giving evidence base on the above issues women farmers have to face and recommendations for the enhancement of their situation.

The Women Travel Journal – collecting stories written by the rural women themselves from South Asia and South East Asia shared both online and in a publication – will be launched as well during the event by some of the women who have written the journal.

The women will also visit some projects and institutions in Dhaka, to understand better the commonalities and differences they are facing.

Participants

• 5-6 rural champion women from the region
• CSOs working with women farmers from the region
• Media and regional journalists
• Oxfam staff (national, regional, international)
• Campaign and program partners in Bangladesh

Themes to be covered
• Land rights struggle: women’s access to land and control over land; mainstream gender into agricultural practices; national policy asks
• Food security and right to food and access to food
• Mainstreaming gender in agriculture system ( their access to government schemes, training program and credit system)
• Climate change impact on farming and women’s everyday life
• Climate adaptation methods used by women farmers

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The report reads that family members of the tobacco growing farmers used to be sick for round the year and they do not get any loan for food crop cultivation as well. According to PROGGA, a leading private research organization in Bangladesh, there is no state policy to discourage farmers from tobacco cultivation and thus the tobacco companies are aggressively expanding their business using the marginalized farmers, following the report. PROGGA also alleged that the tobacco companies are making profit using the subsidized facilities of the government, reads the report.

Experts, at a recent Policy Dialogue, opined that tobacco Cultivation is damaging about 1 to 2 per cent of the GDP which needs immediate attention. National Parliament member, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, comprehending the disastrous impact of nationwide tobacco cultivation, has called for formulating a National Platform and the other MPs present there agreed with the proposal and promised playing important roles in the coming Parliament session, says the report.
The detail of the report is available on the following link:
https://www.bhorerkagoj.net/epaper/2015/02/05/9/details/9_r2_c2.jpg

Khagrachharhi farmlands turn tobacco prey. Khagrachharhi farmers have started preferring tobacco cultivation on their farmlands since the companies are alluring them, the government monitoring system is sluggish and mostly they are unaware of the negative impacts of tobacco farming, reads a report on the Daily Suprobhat on February 5, 2015. Precious forestlands are being burnt to bake tobacco leaves and the smoke emitted from the burning is creating serious health hazards for the local population and simultaneously the lands are losing fertility, reads the report. The detail of the report is available on the following link:
https://www.esuprobhat.com/content/2015/2015-02-05/zoom_view/2015_02_05_9a.jpg

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This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day – ‘Wetlands for our Future’ – highlights the vital importance of wetlands to the survival of humanity. It underpins the importance of keeping these ecosystems healthy and resilient into the future so that they can continue to support both human livelihoods and the unique biodiversity that depend on them.

Wetlands include our lakes, rivers, marshes, mangroves, sea grass beds, lagoons and coral reefs. At the global level, wetlands provide fish and rice that feed millions. Furthermore, they are the ‘kidneys’ of our planet owing to their important function in purifying the water that we depend on daily. In the Pacific islands, wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services that result in significant economic and conservation benefits, such as fisheries production, water storage and flood control, drought mitigation, shoreline stabilisation and protection, atmospheric carbon storage, maintenance of coastal water quality, recreation and tourism opportunities.

Unfortunately, the functions of wetlands and the benefits they provide are not widely known, understood or appreciated. This has resulted in the loss of approximately 64% of wetlands around the globe since 1900 and it is highly likely that this dismal trend is continuing.

A number of Pacific island countries are contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and as such are obligated to formulate and implement national planning to promote the conservation of their Ramsar Sites and other wetlands within their jurisdiction. Such planning relies very much on the availability of comprehensive, good quality data on wetlands.

One initiative being rolled out within the Pacific region to collate such wetland data and contribute in the long term toward reversing the trend of wetland degradation and loss in the region, is coordinated through an ongoing partnership between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention. During the latter half of 2014, a project to update the national wetland inventories for three Pacific island countries (Kiribati, Palau and Vanuatu) was completed.

“A first step towards planning for the conservation and wise use of wetlands is to document and understand their distribution, values and status. Up-to-date information on wetlands is currently either lacking or fragmented across the region and within Pacific island countries and territories themselves. This project is part of a wider effort by SPREP and the Ramsar Convention to progressively update the national wetland inventories for all Pacific island nations, and I am pleased that we have completed this effort for another three countries,” said Mr. Vainuupo Jungblut, Ramsar Officer for Oceania at SPREP.”

National Wetland Inventories are useful for a variety of purposes, more specifically, they can be a powerful tool in informing wetland conservation decisions, raising awareness of the importance of wetlands, influencing public perception of wetlands, creating ongoing monitoring, revealing trends over time, identifying priority sites for conservation management (e.g. for designating Ramsar Sites or other types of Protected Areas at the national level) and for planning and implementing appropriate conservation interventions for wetlands, especially in light of the impacts of climate change.

The updated national inventories were welcomed and applauded by the participating countries. “This is a great achievement for the Department and the country as a whole. The updated inventory will help towards our relevant planning and decision making at the government, province and community level,” said Mr. Trinison Tari of the Vanuatu Environment Department.

The project also trained national counterparts in Kiribati, Palau and Vanuatu to conduct future wetland inventory updates and to be able to use the information collated through the inventory process in national decision making.

“The wetland inventory training has enabled our staff to better understand the different types of wetlands found in an atoll setting, it also updated us on the existing biodiversity of our first Ramsar Site, Nooto North Tarawa. Furthermore, the training increased our understanding of the ecosystem services provided by different wetland types found in our country, this information is vital for informing planning by the government, island council and elders for the management of our Ramsar Site and other important wetlands in Kiribati,” said Mr. Arawaia Moiwa of the Kiribati Division of Environment and Conservation.

The project was made possible through financial support from the Government of Australia and the Convention for the Protection of Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (Noumea Convention).

Across the Pacific region, The Directory of Wetlands in Oceania 1993 documented available information on the distribution, status and values of wetlands in Pacific Island Countries and Territories, however, most of this existing information currently needs updating. Thus, SPREP and the Ramsar Convention will continue working together to update national wetland inventories across the Pacific region.

This project implements one of the key priorities of the SPREP Regional Wetlands Action Plan for the Pacific Islands.

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NGO News Report ::

Tobacco farming has alarmingly increased in the Lalmonirhat district. It was grown on 23 thousand acres of lands in five Upazillas of the district in the last season and the lands for the same purpose would be much more this year, mentions the report.

The tobacco industry targeted huge paddy land for farming tobacco in this area. A number of tobacco farmers realized this ill tactics by the industries and organized rally to demand for alternative crops instead of tobacco farming in order to save their land’s fertility, their health and environment.

Day by day the district of Lalmonirhat is losing paddy land as tobacco is being cultivated instead. Therefore, it is highly imperative to formulate and implement a comprehensive tobacco cultivation policy to check tobacco cultivation in Bangladesh to prevent the upcoming land scarcity for cultivating food and cash crops.

See the detail report:
​https://www.thedailystar.net/how-profitable-is-tobacco-farming-60939

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NGO News Report ::

Dignataries on the podiumIn his inaugural response, Dr David Molden, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) stressed the need for paradigm shift in managing forests. ‘A third generation of forest management is imperative given the changing nature of both the mountain societies and ecosystems,’ said Dr Molden. Calling upon ICIMOD member countries in the region to come together to create an interactive knowledge platform as a regional forestry community, Dr Molden stressed the need for transboundary cooperation to not only raise their voice about forest issues but to double efforts to make REDD+ a reality.

Dr P P Bhojvaid, Director, Forest Research Institute, welcomed 250 delegates drawn from 16 different countries, including 8 from the Hindu-Kush Himalayas, which include ministers, parliamentarians, conservation scientists, forest officials, development practitioners and policy makers. Dr Bhojvaid pointed out that the Himalayas is an ‘ínstitution’ with which we need to reinvent our relationship for our own survival. Dr Rajan Kotru, Regional Programme Manager, Transboundary Landscapes at ICIMOD elaborated on the focus and design of the symposium that aims to discuss emerging challenges in mountain forestry in light of the emerging threats of climate change to suggest possible management options, applied science focus and policies in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

In his illustrated keynote address, Dr Christian Koerner from the University of Basel, Switzerland pointed out the rate at which trees grow should not be confused with carbon storage because growth in itself is part of the carbon cycle. Óld forests are like ‘çapital’, storing more carbon but producing less whereas young forests hold less ‘çapital’ but provide more ‘çash’, remarked Dr Koerner. People can only live in the mountains only if the ‘capital’ in the form of soil is intact and water is flowing. Congratulating the organizers for a timely symposium, given that the year 2015 will see an end of the Millennium Development Goals, Dr Maharaj Muthoo, President, Roman Forum in Italy laid emphasis on public-private partnership and forest certification as a mechanism for getting the most out of the sustainable forest development. Dr Ashwani Kumar, Director General, Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) also addressed the symposium, stressing need for paradigm shift in managing forests. Mr Hem Pande, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, while co-chairing the inaugural session reiterated government’s resolve to preserve mountain ecosystems and the forests for improving the lives of mountain ecosystems.

State level ministers and parliamentarians from different countries and from the mountain states of India will contribute to a special session on “High Level Segment and Lawmakers’ Session”. This session will highlight the political economy of mountain forests in the region, and draw contours of policy changes. The five day symposium will lay emphasis on greater collaboration and cooperation to promote global and regional partnerships and networks for collaborative research, socio-economic development, knowledge sharing and policy support.

The symposium is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India; Forest Research Institute, India and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The symposium will close on January 22, 2015 with a Symposium Statement on Transforming Mountain Forestry.

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NGO News Report :: 

That’s the warning by more than a thousand organisations around the world which are launching a new campaign called action/2015 calling on local and world leaders to take urgent action to halt man-made climate change, eradicate poverty and address inequality.

The new calculation released by the action/2015 coalition shows that, even using relatively conservative scenarios,  the number of people living in extreme poverty – on less than $1.25 a day – could be reduced dramatically from over a billion to 360 million by 2030. Based on work by the University of Denver, in the year 2030, about 4 % of the global population would live in extreme poverty, (compared to 17% today) if critical policy choices on inequality, poverty investment and climate change are made this year and implemented thereafter.  Estimates of other researchers, looking at a longer list of variables, show that the eradication of extreme poverty is achievable for the first time in history – a key objective of the campaign.

However, if leaders fail to deliver and build on the growing momentum for ambitious deals at the UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September and the UN Climate talks in Paris in December, and scale back their efforts, the number of people living in extreme poverty could actually increase to 1.2 billion by 2030. This increase would be the first in a generation (since 1993) and almost a billion higher (886million) than if resolute action is taken. Under this scenario 1 in 3 of the world’s population would live under $2 a day.

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Malala Fund co-founder, who put her life on the line for the right to education said;

‘People globally want an end to injustice, poverty and illiteracy. Our world is interconnected and youth are ready and mobilised more than ever to see real change take place. Together, we are demanding our leaders take action in 2015 and we must all do our part. I will continue to work tirelessly to call on world leaders to seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality primary and secondary education for every child. That is my goal and I hope that my voice will be heard as it is the voice of millions of children who want to go to school.’

Alongside Malala, dozens of high profile activists from Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Bono to Ben Affleck, Bill and Melinda Gates and Mo Ibrahim have backed the coalition of over a thousand organisations in more than 120 countries around the world. The campaign is calling on world leaders to agree plans to eradicate poverty, prevent dangerous climate change and tackle inequality at these summits.

action/2015 – announced by Malala when she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize – is one of the biggest campaigns ever to launch – combining environmental, human rights, development organisations and faith networks. From household names like Amnesty International and Save the Children to grassroots NGOs working with local communities, the movement aims to make sure the agreements of 2015 are shaped by the people.

Speaking for action/2015, Amitabh Behar, Indian anti-poverty activist said:

“If we get this wrong, we could see the number of people living in poverty increase for the first time in our generation. But if we get it right – tackle poverty, inequality and climate change – we could eradicate extreme poverty within a generation. With two summits of this importance within just months of each other, 2015 could be one of the most important years for our planet since the end of the Second World War, but only if we rise to the occasion.”

At part of the launch, activities are taking place in more than 50 countries all around the world from Lebanon and Liberia to Nigeria and Norway to South Africa and Sri Lanka.  Many of these are spearheaded by 15 year olds – a constituency who will be among the most affected by the agreements:

• In Bolivia, three coordinated rallies in Laz Paz will bring together younger and older people, each one representing one of the core issues of the campaign – climate change, inequality and poverty.
• In Costa Rica, young people will take to their bicycles to raise the profile of the campaign in a cycle rally which will deliver the message of the campaign to leaders and the public.
• In India, young people are meeting their leaders in 15 states and over 150 districts to deliver their messages of hope for 2015.
• In New York, the Secretary- General of the United Nations Ban Ki- moon will meet a group of 15 year olds to discuss why we need global action in 2015.
• In Nigeria, 15 year olds will present their hopes for the future to Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a live concert;
• In Norway, a delegation of 15 year old campaigners from across the country will meet with Prime Minister Erna Solberg to challenge her to play her part in the summits and secure a safer future for people and planet in 2015;
• In Tanzania, 15 year olds will meet Vice President Mohamed Gharib Bilal to discuss their aspirations for the future and the action they want from political leaders in 2015;
• In Uganda young people will challenge the Speaker of Parliament to listen to their demands when they hand over a petition signed by over 10,000 young people;
• In the UK, some of Britain’s leading youth activists will meet Prime Minister David Cameron and Ed Miliband, the Leader of the Opposition, to urge them to seize the opportunities of 2015.

Speaking about why she got involved in the campaign, Maryam, a Nigerian child rights activist, who will turn 15 this year said:

“By 2030 I will be an adult, and may have children of my own. My generation might not be the ones making decisions today, but we will be the ones to make sure that our leaders take full responsibility for the actions they take this year. I and thousands like me are demanding they make the right choices, because our future is at stake. We ask that they make choices which are dictated by the needs of future generations and not choices that are dictated by short-term politics.”

Debora Souza, a Brazilian campaigner for action/2015 said:

“The world has tested and proven strategies which have successfully lifted millions out of poverty, and the global transition from the dirty fuels driving climate change to 100% clean renewables is already under way. Now it’s up to governments to accelerate those positive trends and make 2015 the year that brings the world closer to a safe and prosperous future for everybody.”

action/2015 is calling on the public to join them in their calls to ensure world leaders commit to a better world.  Throughout 2015, the campaign will provide ways for everyone everywhere to get involved in influencing the outcomes of these global debates that could achieve:

∑        An end to poverty in all its forms;

∑        The meeting of fundamental rights, tackling inequality and discrimination;

∑        An accelerated transition to 100% renewable energy;

∑        A world where everyone can participate and hold their leaders accountable.

 There are few important points below:

• The ‘almost 1 billion lives’ figure is calculated from best and worst scenarios based on different actions that could be taken affecting inequality, climate change, growth, aid and social investment. These variables are computed by the International Futures model developed at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures at the University of Denver.
• Under the best case scenario the number of people living in poverty could be reduced to 360m (4%) by 2030. In the worst case scenario the number of people living in poverty could increase to 1.2 billion, a difference of 886million.

 Additional examples of national activities:

• Around the world people will take to the streets in rallies and marches to demand action – including Liberia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Indonesia, Uganda, Belgium, El Salvador, Costa Rica and many more
• Bangladesh: A rally of over 1000 bicyclists will carry messages of the campaign to the Bangladesh Parliament before young people form a human chain around the building to make their demand for action in 2015;
• Lebanon: A human chain of a ‘15’ will be created in downtown Beirut.
• South Africa: In Soweto, 15 year olds will gather to urge their leaders to take action. In live broadcasts with well-known celebrities they will speak about their hopes for the future;

 If you need more information about this topic you can visit: www.action2015.org

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NGO News Report ::

There is a strong ‘Smoking & Tobacco Products Usages (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended, 2013)’, but there is no such comprehensive policy to check expansion of tobacco cultivation in Bangladesh. In fact, tobacco companies are using this loophole and expanding tobacco cultivation massively. So, a policy is very essential now to protect our crop land, farmers, agricultural economy and food security at all, says the report.

See the detail report:
https://dailyjanakantha.com/?p=details&csl=104845

Besides, aggressive expansion of deadly tobacco cultivation using the hilly riverbanks in the hill tracts district Bandarban is going on, says a report published in an online news portal www.bccnews24.com on yesterday, 2nd January 2015.

See the detail report:
https://www.bccnews24.com/2015/01/02/67882/bccnews24/special-reports

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NGO News Report :: 

Consequently, the lands are losing fertility and people of all classes are under severe health threat and about 50, 000 acres of the croplands in Bandarban are now under tobacco cultivation, and thousands of acres have been destroyed so far to grow the toxic plants, according to the report.

The report also narrates that the farmers of the district said that tobacco farming inputs like seeds and seedbeds, fertilizers, insecticides and other necessary materials etc. are easily available from tobacco companies whereas all such facilities are difficult to arrange for food crops cultivation. Even they also get advance and flexible loans from the tobacco companies to grow tobacco on the lands and need not to worry about the price and selling of the produced. Regarding food crops, they are to experience total loss in as there is no buyer of the crops, no preservation facilities for the crops and at times they are to sell the produced at very a lower price, following the report. Due to food crops’ shortage, the local inhabitants are to buy them at a higher price in the current season where it was supposed to be grown in plenty on the district’s lands.

Farmers, following the report, said that earlier they had tried to get facilities from the government in food crop cultivation, but did not get any, and thus the tobacco companies are exploiting their poverty- compelling them into tobacco farming with different allurement and attractive facilities. Shockingly, the tobacco companies have grabbed about 300 acres of reserved forest to grow tobacco in Bandarban district. On the other hand, in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the tobacco companies are assisting the farmers into tobacco production. Under its project ‘Deepto’, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has supplied solar energy and pure drinking water facilities to tobacco farmers in four villages in Bandarban and Khagrachharhi districts, points the report.

The issue of tobacco farming expansion is horrible, believes Dr. Asaduzzaman of BIDS and opined that if such expansion continues, it will create a food shortage in the district soon.

PROGGA, a private research organization believes that tobacco companies are entrapping the farmers with loan and other facilities and they (farmers) are also growing the toxic plant for a temporary profit, mentions the report. An effective tobacco farming policy with a provision to regulate tobacco companies ill tactics is a must to control the situation, according to PROGGA and the organization urges the government to formulate necessary Policy and implement them to control the tobacco farming.

For the detail report, see the following link:

​https://www.bkagoj1.com/online/2014/12/27/33445.php#sthash.dio4nkEN.sl23mi3L.dpuf

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NGO News Desk :: 

Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP of Dhaka 9 was the Chief Guest while the Special Guests were –Begum Fazilatun Nasa Bappy MP of seat 30 from reserved women seats, Mohammad Nabi Newaj MP of Jhenidah 3, and Abul Kalam Mohammad Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury MP of Rangpur 2. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) professorial fellow, Dr. M Asaduzzaman participated as the expert discussant at the dialogue and Bangladesh representative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Taifur Rahman presented the key note at the Policy Dialogue. The programme was presided over by Muzammil Hossain, Editor, The Daily Shokaler Khabar with the moderation of Nadira Kiran, ATMA Co-convener. Mass media activists and leaders from different tobacco control platforms also spoke at the occasion.

Speakers at the dialogue suggested forming a National Platform for the purpose and also urged to prepare the Draft Tobacco Cultivation Control Policy Bill to place at the coming National Parliament session schedule to start from next March 2015.

Since tobacco companies are not enlisted financial institution, and thus they cannot provide any sort of credit services, they added. So, they urged the Finance Ministry to immediately take necessary steps to stop the credit programmes conducted by the tobacco companies. Also, recommend to spend some money from fund of 250 crore generated from ‘1% Health Development Surchage’ for rehabilitation and alternative employment of tobacco farmers.

The policy dialogue has received substantial media attention, and the gathered media reports (print, online, and electronic) are compiled herein for your convenience.

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In his remarks Professor Yunus said that there is a need to bring human identity back to the business, defining business should be something that “will not do harm to people, will not do harm to planet, will not exploit people, will have no corruption and no deception”. Sharing his own experience, Professor Yunus said he is creating a space in conventional between business and philanthropy – which he terms as social business. This is dedicated to solve problems, not to make personal money.

Professor Yunus was invited to the lunch hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, where he was asked to make comments by WEF founder Klaus Schwab. Professor Yunus briefed the PM about the Japanese companies doing social business including clothes retailing giant Uniqlo, explaining the concept to the PM.  Professor Yunus proposed  for Japan to dedicate huge dormant account funds in Japan, which lie unutilized,  towards creating a social business fund. PM Abe was very happy to hear about these ideas and particularly about Uniqlo’s involvement in social business

Professor Yunus participated in a high level meeting attended by UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon, World Bank President Jim Kim, moderated by US Vice President Al Gore on global climate change.

He was invited to have a meeting with Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia Mustapa Mohammed to discuss the details of launching of social business fund in Malaysia. The Fund was announced by Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia Mohammad Najib during the Social Business Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November 2013.

Professor Yunus also had meeting with noted actor of the “Bourne” films  and activist Matt Damon who has launched an organization called Water.org that seeks to bring clean water to remote parts of Africa and India where poorest people lack access. In his speech for Water.org at WEF, Damon said his work is inspired by Professor Yunus, whose work he has been following for many years.

He also had a special review meeting with the Prime Minister of Haiti Laurent Lamothe to review the ongoing social business being carried on the island nation by Yunus Social Business, particularly the progress of the  social business to reforest the island, for which his government has already allocated ten thousand hectares of land.

Professor Yunus had separate meetings with the CEOs of German airline Lufthansa, leading Swiss Bank UBS and investment bank Goldman Sachs and worked out plans for their initiatives in Social Business particularly focussing on youth unemployment in South European countries.

He addressed the Young Global Shapers, outstanding young people selected to by the Schwab Foundation who are chosen for leadership qualities already demonstrated in work that changes the world. Professor Yunus attended the board meeting of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, of which he has been a founding member along with Klaus Schwab, Hilda Schwab and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

In Wiesbaden, Germany he had a meeting with newly elected Mayor, Sven Gerich to review the social business programs of the city which declared itself as the Social Business City. Professor Yunus visited Brussels where he addressed a meeting of business leaders, academics, and students. A leading business family of Belgium expressed their intention to create a social business fund for Belgium.

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The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be replaced by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the year 2015. Initial recommendations of the Government of Bangladesh were discussed in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2013.

“The freedom to voice views and participate in decisions without fear and need for access to information and to an independent media has been recognised as an essential component of the SDGs” said Tahmina Rahman, Director Bangladesh and South Asia of ARTICLE 19. She added, “we believe that there should be a strong reflection of the principles on access to information, transparency and accountability in proposals of the Government of Bangladesh”. She was speaking at a Roundtable jointly organised by ARTICLE 19 with the Daily Star and Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD), a network of right based  NGOs in Bangladesh. The Roundtable was held yesterday at the Daily Star Building in Dhaka.

Participants at the Roundtable discussions included  professor Shamsul Alam member Planning Commission, Nazrul Islam, Additional Secretary Cabinet Division,  Saida Muna Tasneem, Director General UN Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  Information Commissioner Professor Sadeka Halim,  Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director Transparency International Bangladesh, and Saheen Anam, Executive Director Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF). Speakers included  Dr Tofail Ahmed, Barrister Tanjibul Alam, Asgar Ali Sabri, Director Action Aid, Monisha Biswas of Oxfam, former parliamentarian Dr. Akram Hossain and Faruque Ahmed,  Executive Editor the New Nation.

“The Bangladesh Government has been invited to contribute in the development of these new goals at highest level meetings of nation states because of its’ success in implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, and the government is open to strengthening articulations on access, governance and oversight” commented Saida Muna Tasneem.  Nazrul Islam, commented that the government acknowledges that there is more work necessary for the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act. Professor Shamsul Alam empahsised that the right to information is central to Bangladesh proposals for SDGs,

Dr Iftekharizzaman of TIB mentioned that country loss 13.6 % of budget and 2.4 % of GDP due to corruption, this could be minimized if government committed on sincere implementation of right to information.  Saheen Anam of MJF said that access to information is key to holding government accountable, country’s media need to play proactive role in this regard. Reaul Karim Chowdhury commented: “Disclosure of information on matter of public expenditure such as those on defense and development are critical to discussions of equity and good governance”.

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The GIDRM has been designed as a network, bringing together multiple stakeholders from developing, emerging and industrialised nations working in public administrations, academia, civil society and the private sector. For the initial pilot phase, GIDRM is being implemented in eight countries including Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia. In Bangladesh the project aims at promoting fire safety, by providing training aids and sharing skills and knowledge. A mission from the Fire Brigade of the City of Bonn visited Bangladesh in last October. It was followed by a similar mission from Bangladesh in November which included a study tour on fire safety in the industry and risk management in Germany.

Stressing the importance of this timely initiative, the Ambassador recalled the tragic accidents of Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza and underscored the necessity of an effective disaster management mechanism in Bangladesh with strong and capable actors across different segments of the society. He was hopeful that the knowledge sharing component of the initiative would quickly benefit Bangladesh’s disaster response capacity. “This country has a long history of brave response to disasters. The experience is there. However, Germany may be able to help when it comes to planning, methodology, logistics and the use of state of the art equipment in order to reduce casualties in the future”, Conze concluded.

The program was also attended by officials from Bangladesh Fire and Civil Defence, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The Director General of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, Brigadier Ali Ahmed Khan said that Fire Service and Civil Defense is the first responder organization for any kind of disaster in Bangladesh, and as such responsible for adequate response time. Professional skills of the highest standards were of the essence for fire fighters in Bangladesh whose capabilities were being closely watched in the wake of recent tragedies. He welcomed GIZ’s initiatives to facilitate training for fire fighters and expressed his appreciation for Germany’s support.

The outgoing Country Director of GIZ, Olaf Handloegten, has been named Head of GIDRM, based in Berlin. At his last press conference in Dhaka before leaving the country, Olaf Handloegten said that “Germany has learned that disasters can only be tackled effectively if we combine our efforts and link professional full-time government services with the strengths of professionally trained volunteers from the communities. This is one key prerequisite to strengthen the resilience of a nation. GIZ is pleased to see the German and Bangladeshi Fire Services work hand in hand towards a better response preparedness.”

The Fire Safety Mission returning from training in Germany included participants from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense, Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs.

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Welcoming the initiative, the Ambassador further added that the labour inspectors are the most important component of the labour inspection system. “Currently there is a shortage of both manpower and transport facilities with over 5,500 factories in the Ready-Made Garment sector alone, he said. “These motorcycles will foster transparency through surprise visits, and enhance the frequency and mobility of the inspectors by making them less dependent on factory owners who erstwhile provided vehicles for inspections”.

The motorcycles were distributed under the Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards (PSES) project, a joint initiative of the Governments of Bangladesh and Germany, and the European Union (EU), implemented by Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH aiming at supporting frequency and convenience of factory inspections. PSES has been supporting the social compliance and inspection techniques for MoLELabour Inspectors since 2006, through regular trainings and other logistical support.

The handover ceremony was attended by the Honorable State Minister for Labour and Employment, Md. Mojibul Haque Chunnu and the Secretary of the Ministry, Mikail Shipar.

“Recruitment of more Labour Inspectors is underway. I am very happy that GIZ is going to handover 20 motorcycles for the inspectors. It will certainly assist them to perform their duties effectively”, commented the Honorable Minister.

“We appreciate the continuing support and cooperation of the Government of Germany to keep the industries safe and compliant. We hope they will continue the support for the welfare of the workers of Bangladesh.” Mr. Shipar said.

Country Director of GIZ, Tobias Becker and the Program Coordinator of the PSES project Magnus Schimd also spoke at the occasion. Both of them reiterated GIZ’s long-standing partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE). They also informed that a guideline is being provided to the Labour Inspectors to ensure proper use of the motorcycles and foster an ecological, independent and motivational mode of transportation to carry out effective factory inspections.

GIZ, an innovative partner for the global challenges of tomorrow —The wide range of services offered by the Deutsche  Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH are based on a wealth of regional and technicalexpertise and on tried and tested management know-how. We are a German federalenterprise and offer workable, sustainable and effective solutions in political,economic and social change processes.

Most of our work is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). However, GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries and public and private bodies in Germany and abroad. These include governments of other countries, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank. We are equally committed to helping our clients in the private sector attain their goals.

GIZ operates throughout Germany and in more than 130 countries worldwide. Our registered offices are in Bonn and Eschborn. We have more than 17,000 staff members around the globe, some 70% of whom are employed locally as national personnel. GIZ’s business volume was about EUR 2 billion as at 31 December 2011.

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Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD moderated the press conference while Barkat Ullah Maruf of EquityBD read out the position paper. Introductory speech was given by Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD. Other speakers were Badrul Alam and Zaid Iqbal Khan of Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Jibonananda Jayanta of SOAF.

On behalf of the group, while reading out the written statement, Barkat Ullah Maruf mentioned that, Bangladesh should have supported the issue of food security to include in the AoA (Agreement on Agriculture) raised by India. The role of Bangladesh delegation was, therefore, criticized by other participants in this regard.

He also mentioned, there were misconceptions on achievement of LDC Package, in fact, which is still vague without any legal bindings. Bangladesh and other LDC has to work it out in next 12 months in the WTO Trade Negotiation Committee. In respect of Trade Facilitation agreement, Bangladesh needs to invest money to develop customs and other import infrastructures to basically facilitate importing the commodities of multinational companies. But a county like Bangladesh has its own priority to investment in the basic services related to poverty alleviation.

The group mentioned in their written position paper that the LDC package is a weaker package as it didn’t included mode 4 of DDA (Doha Development Agenda) i.e. movement of natural person. The group strongly mentioned that the presence of the Minister in the WTO delegation could have given different image and it could be helpful for important diplomatic negotiations by taking the opportunity was created by this WTO conference.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury the moderator of the press conference, mentioned that WTO i.e. trade multilateralism will get importance in future. Political leadership of the country must take interest and lead in this process, as nowaday, somehow the policy decision is being taken in such international level.  He also mentioned that there will be post Bali issues, i.e., government procurements, foreign investments etc. and these are very important.  Bangladesh should be pioneer in raising climate related issues like, subsidies in clean energy and also raise demand to reduce subsidies in fossil fuel  which is the major cause of carbon emissions.

Badurl Alam of Bangladesh Krihsok Federation said that WTO must be out of Agriculture as it is related to right to food. Jibanananda Jayanta said that, political leadership must take interest on futuristic issues and national institutions should go for research in this regard.

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Here it is not like the fanfare in MC Hong Kong in 2005 where there were more than 1000 registered NGO (non government organization) observers and here it is only 650. While the former DG Pascal Lamy left with frustration, the present DG Roberto Azevedo is trying to give a good start and already he expressed his intention to have a successful completion of Doha Development Round. But there are some major contentious issues between the developing and developed countries that seem the members have to pass through hard times and the question arises, is the WTO Bali Ministerial able to deliver?

A major contentious issue is the food security vs. peace clause.  India passed a law and is going to lunch a huge public food distribution system for the millions of poor people. US and other developed countries have already opposed it blaming that it will distort the market as it is fallen in amber box subsidy. Lot of US food and grain exporter groups are lobbying to stop India to give such subsidy. Most of the developed countries already supporting US position, ironically Pakistan too being a developing country.  On the other hand 33 countries, mostly developing countries has already supported Indian position and urged for food security issue in WTO agreement. But to make a compromise formula, WTO DG tables a peace clause i.e. not to discuss the issue at least for the next four years. Most of the developing countries are taking position on the ‘Food Security’ should not be considered as a trade distorting issue. It should be considered rather as a green box subsidy.  They, therefore, demand a permanent solution instead of considering this temporary formula of peace clause.

The other contentious issue is the trade facilitation (TF) agreement. In fact, it is the demand from the developed countries that the countries need to modernize the custom and other related infrastructure to facilitate more import and export. But this is not a priority issue for the developing countries especially least developed countries (LDC) as they have the development issue in priority for investment. LDC has already demanded that they can only accept it if they get financial assistance.

LDC Ministers have had a meeting yesterday where they have reaffirmed their common position, which they might declare on 4^th December in the conference venue.  They have reiterated there demand on (i) duty free quota free access for their goods, (ii) preferential rules of origin, (iii) withdrawal of cotton subsidy in the developed countries, (iv) no obligation to trade facilitation binding if there is no financial assistance, and assurance for special and differential treatment. And there is also a renewed demand for the TRIPs (trade related intellectual property rights’) waiver and trade for aid or technical assistance.

There are favorable conditions for LDC issues but it might be caught up between the row of food security and peace clause issue.

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“Negotiators were able to agree on what could be described as a modest package of decisions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw.  The negotiations are still on track”.   However the decisions underscore the challenges as parties work toward bridging their differences to reach a new global agreement in Paris in 2015.

This Conference of the Parties (COP) was the midpoint in the programme of work launched two years ago in Durban to reach a new global agreement.

Usually at these COPs there are a myriad of issues that require in-depth decision making, however a central focus of the Warsaw conference was defining a clearer path for the final two years of the Durban Platform negotiations.

The talks ran a full 30 hours longer than planned, and a loose timeline was set by parties for proposing their “intended nationally determined contributions” to the 2015 agreement: by the first quarter of that year for those “ready to do so.”

This decision language was crafted to very carefully avoid prejudging the ultimate shape of a Paris accord, and can be seen as less ambitious than the Kyoto Protocol language of commitments.

Other equally major issues in Warsaw were demands from the Pacific and other developing countries for increased levels of climate finance and easier access to resources, and for a new mechanism to help the most vulnerable cope with unavoidable “Loss and Damage” resulting from climate change.

The latter was a particular concern for the Pacific Island Countries and for the Alliance of Small Island States, who were seeking to build on a proposal initiated in the negotiations as early as 1991.

It had been agreed a year ago in Doha that Warsaw would make decisions on “Loss and Damage”, and the issue took on extra magnitude against the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines just days before the conference.

Developed countries, having at previous COPs in Copenhagen and Cancun promised to mobilise a total of $100 billion a year by 2020, refused in Warsaw to set a quantified interim goal for ramping up climate finance.   In addition, the new “Warsaw international mechanism for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts” fell well short of what the Pacific had expected.

It does establish a new forum to provide information and expertise, and to consider further steps, but makes no promise of additional funding. Nevertheless there is hope that in working through the issues on “Loss and Damage” the resources necessary to take action will be identified.

The final agreement represented a great compromise on behalf of the Pacific in that it places the issue of “Loss and Damage” under the framework of Adaptation, whereas the Pacific had argued that “Loss and Damage” should be dealt with separately from adaptation, because in their view it transcends adaptation, and that it is ‘beyond adaptation’.  That said, these arrangements will be reviewed in 2016.

In 2009, the Copenhagen summit produced a comprehensive political agreement among leaders that a year later was translated into formal COP decisions in Cancun.

A pivotal package deal the following year at COP 17 in Durban kept the Kyoto Protocol alive through 2020 and launched the Durban Platform round to negotiate a successor agreement.   COP 18 in Doha delivered the formal amendment needed to legally establish the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period. By comparison, the progress achieved in Warsaw was largely procedural.

As a view of what the Pacific can expect in the next two years of negotiations leading to Paris, the Warsaw COP underscored the tremendous distance between groups of parties on core issues such as the legal character of a new agreement and the differentiation of developed and developing country obligations.

The outcome effectively preserved the vague but delicate balance struck on those issues in Durban.

The one significant new substantive element was the indication that countries’ individual contributions to the Paris agreement will be “nationally determined”, which for some commentators could result in targets that are not sufficiently ambitious or that rise to countries actual capabilities.

The Pacific negotiators showed a lot of perseverance as well as good technical expertise in Warsaw, and SPREP was pleased to provide technical support and advice. We are committed to assisting the Pacific in the negotiations so that they can attain an agreement at the end of the day that meets their very real concerns”.

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CAN director Wael Hmaidan, who is already fasting for climate action, will detail the extent of the swell of support now behind Yeb Sano. Over 10,000 people are unaccounted for after the storm which shows how loss and damage is well and truly already being experienced by the people of the Philippines.

Kelly Dent, from Oxfam, will detail how climate finance can be used to save lives in the countries which are most vulnerable to these kind of climate impacts. She will comment on how these negotiations can deliver more on climate finance for the people most at risk.

Louisa Casson, from the youth constituency at the negotiations, will talk about how the cause of climate change – the fossil fuel industry – is losing its social license as a result of powerful divestment campaigns happening around the world, and how these negotiations can deliver action by pushing for more investment in renewable energy and energy efficiciency.

• Where: COP19 Venue, National Stadium Warsaw, Press Conference Room 2 located on Level -2/Zone E6, right next to Plenary 2.

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DCEF is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Minister of Energy & Industry, Mr. Faisal Al-Suwaidi, President of Research and Development at Qatar Foundation and Mrs. Sara Ortwein, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company. Taking place over the next three days, DCEF is organised jointly by Qatar Foundation, Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Qatar, with Qatargas and Shell providing strategic sponsorship and Qatar Airways being the official airline carrier.

DCEF provides a platform for experts to have open discussions on the four topical areas of energy efficiency, solar energy, Carbon Capture and Storage and climate change. Within each topic, around forty specialists will hold discussions reviewing state of the art scientific research and development; policies and regulation; and practical industrial applications on the above topics in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2011-2016.

His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Minister of Energy & Industry said the Forum reflects Qatar’s responsibility, recognition and contribution towards addressing the challenges of energy and greenhouse gases facing our planet.

In a keynote speech opening of the Forum, Dr. Al-Sada said Qatar has already identified the road ahead for its contribution by adopting and implementing the Qatar National Vision 2030, which was guided and launched by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar.

The Minister of Energy & Industry called for “a combined and collaborative effort by all concerned to forge essential partnerships on various levels to seek crucial carbon mitigation technological solutions, and to encourage investments in energy efficiency solutions in buildings, industry and transport.”

His Excellency Dr. Al-Sada stressed the need for adaptation, which he said “is an important part of meeting the challenges of climate change, along with mitigation and development.”

The Forum was also addressed by Dr Thomas Zacharia, Vice-President of Research and Development at Qatar Foundation and Mrs Sara Ortwein, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company.

DCEF will confirm Qatar’s position as a centre of innovation and leadership in addressing opportunities in energy efficiency, solar energy and CCS as ways to mitigate greenhouse gases. The subject-matter and aims of the Forum are firmly in line with the Environmental Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and all DCEF discussions will be steered towards what is most relevant and appropriate course of action for the State of Qatar and the wider region.

Mr. Faisal Al-Suwaidi, President of Research and Development at Qatar Foundation said:

“The Doha Carbon and Energy Forum is well aligned with the Qatar National Research Strategy. In fact, the strategy goals and objectives capture all four of the Forum themes. As such, I believe that there is both mutual interest and benefit for the research community, industry, and policy makers to think and work together to successfully address this country’s vital carbon and energy needs, and ultimately make a difference.”

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Saif Al Naimi, DCEF Steering Committee Chair and Director of HSE Regulations & Enforcement Directorate at Qatar Petroleum said:

“This year’s DCEF provides a platform for thought leaders from the worlds of academia and the energy industry to come together to explore practical ways to advance research and development, policy frameworks and industrial applications to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.”

Mrs. Sara Ortwein, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company said:

Through this forum, the State of Qatar is demonstrating its commitment to responsible development as a path to meeting growing global energy demand in a safe, reliable and sustainable manner. We have an immense responsibility to deliver the energy the world needs. The energy we provide is a crucial step to a better life.  But we must deliver that energy safely, responsibly and efficiently.

DCEF will conclude on Wednesday 13 November by identifying innovative technologies, industrial applications and regulatory frameworks that are considered to be the most effective and relevant methods of meeting greenhouse gas challenges in Qatar and the Gulf. DCEF will also establish a framework to ensure the work and discussions of the Forum are sustained for the long term.

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Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus will deliver the keynote speech at the opening of the Summit while welcome address will be delivered by NurfariniDaing, CEO Youth Trust Foundation myHarapan and Hans Reitz, Head of Global Social Business Summit. Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia will deliver key note speech on “Road-map for social business in Malaysia” while Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus will deliver the key note on  “Road-map towards 2018’ at the closing of the summit.

Global Social Business Summit, introduced by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, brings together the efficient and innovative methods of business and the task of solving social problems such as poverty, healthcare, education or energy and all the main actors in the field of social business.

Organized by The Grameen Creative Lab, Yunus Centre and Youth Trust Foundation (myHarapan), the Global Social Business Summit (GSBS) is an annual summit that showcases best practices and promotes discussions and collaboration among practitioners, stakeholders and experts from all over the world and across all sectors.

This year’s Global Social Business Summit, as before, will be three-daylong program which will include plenary discussions among distinguished participants, special presentations, signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Veracruz, announcement of The Grameen Creative Lab’s partnership with the City of Berlin. There will be different panel sessions to highlight issues such as “State of the art of social business: the development and implementation of social business around the world”,

State of the art of social business: the development and implementation of social business around the world, “Co-creating and Collaboration: partnerships as key deliver for social business”, “it’s the cooperation, stupid!”- Social business as part of the business strategy”, “Social Impact Measurement- Curse or cure for social investment?” “How can culture & arts support social business?”

Other distinguished speakers of the summit will include Dr. Fatima al Balooshi, Minister of Social Development Bahrain, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, Prof. HirotoYasuura, Vice Executive President Kyushu University, Eric Lesueur, Projects Director Grameen Veolia, SaskiaBruysten, CEO Yunus Social Business, Dr. BhaskarChatterjee, Director General & CEO Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Antonio da Conceicao, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Environment East Timor, Krish Krishnan, Founder Director and CEO Green Ventures, Gilbert Mbesherubusa, Vice President Operations African Development Bank, Erin Pham Steinhauer, Head of Corporate Responsibility Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa Visa Inc , HendrikHeuermann, HR Department H&M Germany, Alex Thier, Assistant to the Administrator USAID, Jimmy Wales, Founder Wikipedia, Sophie Eisenmann, CFO Yunus Social Business, Anshu Gupta, Founder Goonj, Jean-Luc Perron, CEO GrameenCréditAgricole, LutfeySiddiqi, Managing Director, Co-Head Foreign Exchange Asia-Pacific UBS Investment Bank, Jack Sim, Founder World Toilet Organisation, Ulrich Villis, Global Co-Leader Social Impact Practice Boston Consulting Group, DatukZabidah Ismail, Managing Director AmanahIkhtiar Malaysia, Binod Chaudhary, Chairman Chaudhary Group,  Joon Choi, VP Social Enterprise Team SK SUPEX Council , Emmanuel Faber, COO Danone Group, Navroze Godrej, Board of Directors Godrej Group, MaozInon, Tourism entrepreneur, Low Ngai Yuen, Founder Kakiseni, Cameron Sinclair, Founder Architecture for Humanity (tbc), Datin Tiara Jacquelina, Producer, Actor, Singer (tbc).

This year 600 participants from around 40 countries will participate in Global Social Business Summit. From Bangladesh, 107 participants will participate in the Summit.

It can be mentioned that the GSBS Young Challengers Meeting will take place on the 6th of November 2013, the day prior to the Global Social Business Summit. It is a one day workshop for young leaders to discuss the concept of social business, network and develop own social business ideas. The Young Challengers will be attending the Global Social Business Summit and will have the opportunity to ask questions to decision makers about the role of social business in their countries and societies. They will challenge political leaders from around the world, get together with CEOs from global corporations and meet Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus personally to discuss their vision for the future. The GSBS Young Challengers Meeting will be hosted by the Yunus and Youth – The YY Foundation and supported by the British Council.

It can be mentioned that in 2009 the Global Social Business Summit was held for the first time as an initiative by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in Autostadt Wolfsburg, Germany. In 2010 GSBS also took place in Autostadt Wolfsburg, Germany and in 2011 as well as in 2012 GSBS was held in Vienna, Austria.

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1. Invite and discuss HFC submissions from all countries under the Montreal Protocol:

2. Developed countries should phase out HFCs by 2017-2020: Developed countries cannot be allowed to phase down HFCs until the mid-2030s, as the existing US proposal suggests. CSE proposes that the developed countries should phase out HFCs between 2017 and 2020, and begin working towards it today. This will have the additional advantage of opening up the market for alternatives and new environment-friendly technologies for developing countries to leapfrog to.
3. Developing countries should leapfrog to non-HFC alternatives: Developing countries should not follow the chemical treadmill adopted by developed countries. Instead of moving to HFCs from HCFCs, developing countries should make a one-time transition from HCFCs to non-HFC alternatives like hydrocarbons.
4. Reform the Multilateral Fund: The Multilateral Fund (MLF) which pays for the technical and financial assistance needed by developing countries to control substances under the Montreal Protocol, needs to be reformed. While the MLF has been effective in ensuring timely phase-out in the past, its current design does not support a transition that assists in leapfrogging.
5. Differentiation between developed and developing countries under Montreal Protocol should remain: Of late, there has been increasing discussion on blurring the differentiation between developed and developing countries. Under the Montreal Protocol, developed countries are mandated to support developing countries’ transition through financial assistance, but increasingly developing countries are being asked to voluntarily put money into the MLF. Says Narain: “This cannot be allowed. Such discussions would serve to only further alienate developing countries from the HFC phase-out, where a key demand of theirs is the reliable and sufficient provision of finance and technology from developed countries.”
6. Discuss the family of fluorinated gases under the Montreal Protocol, not just HFCs: HFCs are part of the larger family of fluorinated gases that cause global warming. F-gases include HFCs, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). They all are potent greenhouse gases and some are used as replacements for ozone-depleting substances. NF3, used to make microelectronics, including solar photovoltaic cells, for instance has a global warming potential of 17,200. This means that NF3 is 17,200 times more potent than carbon dioxide. These gases are expected to grow significantly. An approach that addresses only HFCs and overlooks the other super greenhouse gases is a piecemeal solution — all the F-gases, therefore, must be discussed under the Montreal Protocol.
7. Resolution at UNFCCC needed to move HFCs to Montreal Protocol: Any move to shift HFC discussion to Montreal Protocol should be duly agreed to by countries under the UNFCCC.

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In rejecting a trade-off between addressing climate change and securing growth and development, Stern supports a low-carbon resilient development approach, which brings together three traditionally separate goals: the reduction of climate change emissions (climate change mitigation), adaptation to the effects caused by climate change and economic and social development.

This approach has been pioneered by nine of the least developed countries (LDCs) — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Laos, Mozambique, Nepal and Rwanda — over the past four years. These ‘early adopters’ offer important insights into how low-carbon resilient development works in practice, providing lessons for other countries that may develop such strategies in the future.

This is something I have been looking at  through IIED’s work on Drivers for low carbon resilient development, whose first findings we have just published.

The assumption that drives low carbon resilient development is that addressing two or three policy areas together can produce successes across the three agendas and be more cost effective.

However, efficiency is just part of the approach’s appeal. The LDCs value low-carbon resilient development for many other socio-economic and political reasons, including the way they can use it as a moral weight in encouraging developed nations to curb their own emissions. It bolsters the approach of the LDC group at the international level to move from following other countries to asking other countries to“follow us”.

Adopting different approaches

Countries have treated low-carbon strategies and resilience in different ways. For example, in Bangladesh they are separate policy areas; in Ethiopia and Rwanda they have been brought into one overarching policy framework.

There are different options available for bringing policy areas together or finding synergies between them:

• One single policy. For example, a policy to build new schools on boats using decentralised, renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, could bring about benefits in all three areas. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help communities to not only adapt to more severe weather patterns, floods and rising water levels, but also develop through their increased access to education.
• An overarching policy objective within which different policies in each of the three areas help a country or community become more low carbon resilient. For example a national policy objective of low carbon resilient development that is achieved through a policy on low carbon agriculture in one ministry, resilient housing in another and development policies on education and health.
• Establishing a special climate change fund or financial mechanism that supports all these policy areas. Departments or other actors can usually apply for funding for a specific programme or intervention that addresses one or more of the policy objectives, but this does not necessarily imply links in implementing the policies beyond a general political will to support all three goals.

It is not yet clear, however, how these different approaches affect the extent to which governments can meet goals to develop, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change. This is a crucial issue, but one which policymakers tend to overlook in their enthusiasm to bring the three agendas together.

Trade-offs and costs

Everyone involved in planning low-carbon resilient development must also address other challenges, which include costs, local contexts, and how these affect the potential benefits. While some policies create ‘triple wins’, as in the school boats mentioned above, others will bring benefits in only one of the three areas — or strong benefits in one but only weak benefits in the others.

Using this three-way analysis to look at low-carbon resilient development strategies can help assess where a policy, sector or programme might fit. This in turn helps determine the appropriate policy approach and level of policy-making. It also helps policymakers to recognise that there may be trade-offs between agendas and possible extra costs.

For example, research on coastal management in Belize, Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam shows how some policies are able to produce benefits in all three areas, yet others are ‘creating development losses, mal-adaptation, and worsening emissions’.

Learning by doing

While there is no evidence yet of these costs or losses in what the LDCs have planned and implemented, governments there must monitor these risks. And as they search for synergies and win-win strategies, it’s important they don’t overlook climate justice and people’s rights to development.

Governments and development partners must also be prepared to change direction when it becomes clearer which strategies yield the best results.

It is critical then that the least developed countries – and others that follow their lead – learn from the evidence that is beginning to emerge from their experiences of adopting new strategies and approaches to climate-resilient planning.

Policymakers and analysts still know very little about the advantages and disadvantages of bringing together these agendas in practice. A learning-by-doing approach will generate robust evidence about where to find, and how to support, ‘win-win’ strategies and plans from which we can all learn.

Susannah Fisher is a researcher in IIED’s climate change group.

Download Susannah Fisher’s new paper: Low carbon resilient development in the least developed countries.

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The research organisation made this observation in its research ‘Poverty, Hunger, Nutrition, and Food Production in Bangladesh,’ released coinciding the observance of the World Food Day 2013.

In 1991-92, the percentage of hungry people was 37.9 of the total population and reduced to 24 in 2012 with an annual rate of reduction by 1.79 percent. On the other hand, the poor people living below the absolute poverty line was 56.7 percent of total population in 1991-92 and reduced to 29.99 percent in 2012.

The rate of reduction in extreme poverty increased from 1.95 percent between 1991-92 and 2000 to 4.32 percent during 2000 to 2012. On the contrary, the rate of reduction in hunger has declined decreased from 1.95 percent during 1991-92 to 2000 to 4.32 percent between 2000 and 2012.

The think-tank states that the average food deficit between 1990 and 2012 in Bangladesh was 163.52 kcal/caput/day. The organisation notes that rice demand might increase to 24.56 million ton against the population of 172.53 million in 2020. “This demand might further increase to 28.01, 32.02 and 36.61 million ton in 2030, 2040 and 2050 respectively to feed the population of 196.74, 224.95 and 257.20 in the corresponding years,” predicts the Unnayan Onneshan.

Although prevalence of malnutrition is declining over the years, the research organisation detects that the rate of decline has reduced among the lowest income quintile. The rate of reduction in malnutrition of women among the lowest income quintile has decreased with an annual rate of 2.62 percent from 47.1 percent in 2004 to 43.4 percent in 2007. This rate, however, has slowed down to 1.9 percent during 2007 and 2011, adds the report.

The number of children with underweight has decreased from 59.3 percent in 2004 to 50.3 percent in 2011 with an annual rate of 2.17 percent among the lowest income category. The number of underweight children with highest income category decreased from 30.2 percent in 2004 to 20.9 percent in 2011 with an annual rate of 4.4 percent.

The research organistaion points out that the price hike of food commodities has eroded the purchasing power of the marginalised section. ‘About 0.04 million people might newly add to the total population living under the poverty line due to one percent increase in the food inflation,’ notes the think-tank with caution.

The report identifies that challenge for agriculture sector in Bangladesh is to meet food demand for huge population along with keeping food prices within an accessible limit of the poor for ensuring food security.

The Unnayan Onneshan finds market failure in the form of predatory price fixing and price manipulation along with the lack of government intervention exerting pressure on price, resulting into increases in prices as well as volatility of price. “The strengthening of institutions to address market failures can be a better way to address both volatility and upward pressure on prices,” adds the report.

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The growth in manufacturing was 9.34 percent in FY 2012-13 which was lower than those of 9.37 and 9.45 percent of FY 2011-12 and FY 2010-11 respectively.

The Unnayan Onneshan predicts that if the business as usual situation lingers the growth of manufacturing might further decelerate to 9.22 and 9.11 percent in FY 2013-14.  “If the current trend continues, share of industry in GDP in 2013-14 might decline to 32.28 from 31.33 of 2012-13,” it adds.

The research organisation reasons that indicators of industrial performance such as industrial index, disbursement of term loan, opening and settlements of letter of credits (LCs), investment demand suggest sliding down.

The research organisation points out that decline in export receipts compared to import has led to a decrease in manufacturing trade surplus by 26.27 percent. Between FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13, manufactured export earnings declined by 63 percent, while the import payment decreased by 46 percent. As a consequence, international trade surplus reduced to USD 10147 million in FY 2012-13 from USD 13758 million in FY 2011-12.

The growth rate of industrial term loan in the last quarter of FY 2012-13 was 4.49 percent which was the least positive growth since the second quarter of FY 2011-12, while third quarter of FY 2011-12, and first and third quarter of FY 2012-13 witnessed negative growth.

Import payment shows a downward trail in FY 2012-13 compared to FY 2011-12 in terms of opening and settlement of LCs. Import payment declined from USD 35516.30 million in FY2011-12 to USD 34083.60 million in FY 2012-13. Import of capital machineries reduced from USD 2005 million in FY 2011-12 to USD 915 million in FY 2012-13, equaling a reduction of 54.36 percent.

The Unnayan Onneshan notes that less diversified market and product act as stumbling block for the progress of economy as 66 percent of total export earning in FY 2012-13 was from only nine countries. Only nine products contributed 93 percent of total export earnings, adds the research organisation.

Showing comparative analysis of different countries, the Unnayan Onneshan observes that Bangladesh is far behind in terms of technological catching up and innovation. Moreover, total allocation (development and non-development) for ministry of science and technology is Tk. 3.67 billion in FY 2013-14 that is 0.16 percent of total budget expenditure which is 0.81 percent lower than that of the previous fiscal year.

Bangladesh economy is private sector oriented and the performance of all major indicators reflects that the private sector has been depressed with lower investment demand. Private investment reduced by 1.05 percentage point of GDP from 20.04 percent in FY 2011-12 to 18.99 percent in FY 2012-13.

Although private sector credit is increasing in volume, the rate of growth is following a declining trend. The rate of growth in private sector credit stood at 11.33 percent in August of FY 2013-14 that was 19.92 percent during the same month in the previous fiscal year.

Harmonisation between fiscal and monetary policy, reduction in the savings-investment gap, diversification of market and products, increased investment in infrastructure and technological catching up can boost the industrial sector of the country, adds the report.

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More than 1,000 participants from around the world convened at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila to exchange best practices, discuss policies and share experiences. The Summit Campaign of 1997 exceeded its target of reaching 100 million poorest families with micro-credit and other financial services by 2005.  The 2013 Summit focuses on “Partnerships against Poverty: Government, Business, Finance and Civil Society” which seeks to broaden the movement to include other programs such as education and health and private-public partnerships as way to sustain pathways out of poverty for the millions around the world. Philippines was one of the first countries in the world to take the Grameen Bank experience and replicate it widely across south-East Asian archipelago.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Amando Tetangco, Jr., Governor of Central Bank of the Philippines, Florencio  Abad, Budget Secretary of Philippines, Syarifuddin Hasan, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Indonesia, Mila Mercado-Bunker, President, Ahon Sa Hirap, Inc and Chair of Micro-finance Council of the Philippines, Larry Reed, Director, Micro-credit Summit Campaign, USA,  Karen Dávila, award-winning Filipino broadcast Journalist and television presenter were among the speakers at the opening ceremony of the summit.

“We have the ability to transform the lives of the world’s poorest,” Prof. Yunus declared. “We just need to come together. Microcredit coupled with other social business can make this happen.” He added.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim opened the 2013 Micro-credit Summit: “Partnerships against Poverty” with a recorded statement urging the nearly 1000 delegates from 69 countries to commit themselves to the advancement of micro-finance to end extreme poverty.

The sessions of the Summit included Building the Ecosystem for Financial Inclusion while Protecting Clients, Social Businesses: Creating Solutions for Social Problems ,  Going the Extra Mile: From Safety Nets to Pathways out of Poverty, Reaching Deeper & Lowering Costs: The Path Ahead for Digital Services.

Delegates at the 2013 Summit will explore the different roles that micro-finance institutions, banks, payment providers, regulators, policy makers, and social development organizations can play in partnership to help in the process of ending severe poverty. Summit attendees will gain a great deal in terms of new ideas and exciting partnerships. The agenda is crafted to provide practical lessons to meet challenges and opportunities head on. It will also inspire participants to return home with a renewed commitment to reach deeper into poverty and to work together on our collective mission to eradicate extreme poverty in the near future.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus will return to Bangladesh at the conclusion of the Partnerships Against Poverty Summit in Manila.

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DCEF will confirm Qatar’s position as a centre of innovation and leadership in addressing opportunities in energy efficiency, climate change, carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) and solar energy as ways to mitigate greenhouse gases.

The forum has grown in stature from its inception in 2010, by establishing a platform for industry-wide partnerships to explore and discuss technological solutions in the field of energy; the role that alternative technologies will play in meeting the challenges of climate change; global energy demand and the potential of alternative energy as crucial carbon mitigation technology.

DCEF, organized jointly by Qatar Foundation, Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Qatar, will provide a platform for a select panel of experts to discuss energy and greenhouse gas challenges facing Qatar and the wider region. Discussions will fall under three pillars: reviewing state of the art scientific research and development; policies and regulation; and practical industrial applications to mitigate and adapt to the risks of climate change, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2011-2016.

DCEF will focus on four topic areas vis-a’-vis energy efficiency, solar energy, CCS and climate change. One of DCEF’s objectives is to create a community and network of experts in the above topic areas, to build self-sustaining momentum through to the next DCEF in 2015. During the 2013 forum, a minimum of two projects will be identified that have the potential be carried forward and developed, with the outcomes announced at DCEF 2015.

Speaking ahead of the Forum, Mr Saif Al Naimi, DCEF Steering Committee Chair and Director of HSE Regulations & Enforcement Directorate at Qatar Petroleum commented:

“Qatar has already demonstrated to the world that it is contributing to solving the challenges posed by climate change. This year’s DCEF will bring together participants from global academia and industry to debate and explore practical ways to advance research and development, discuss policy and regulation frameworks, and industrial applications in the fields of energy efficiency, solar energy, carbon capture and storage, and climate change.”

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The committee say that, their members in 64 districts will observe the World Rural Women’s Day during 9^th to 13^th October 2013 by raising awareness through organizing rallies, seminars, honor to the especial rural women for there extraordinary contribution for public, drama and Potgan to raise voice against the pesticides and their companies and to promote alternative methods of pesticides.

A leaflet published with the name and address of the 64 districts committees and a flipchart depicting pesticides for awareness has been launched, presented and distributed to the press during the press conference today.

Mrs. Shamima Akhter, the Vice Chairperson of the national committee moderates the press conference while Mr. Asif Iqbal, a member of the committee reads out the written statement. Other speakers of the press conference are Mrs. Salma Akhter, the President of Faridpur Committee and Mrs Nazma Akhter, the President of Tangail Committee. Mr. Mostafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD gives welcome and introductory speech.

In the written statement the committee says that, during the period of 1954 to 2010 the use of pesticides in agriculture in Bangladesh has been increased six times than that time. One vegetable farmer uses pesticide around 150 times in one session. There are 377 pesticides in 97 groups are being used in our country and most of them are already banned in the developed countries.

It is also said that, only 4% farmers are aware of how to use pesticides. 87% of the farmers hardly take any steps to keep away of the hazardous impacts of pesticides. Most dangerously, 5% of the farmers intake different food and smoke during their pesticide spray and this is how they directly intake toxic chemicals in their body.

It is mentioned in the press conference that different studies show that, as the health impacts for using pesticides 30% farmers suffer from irritation, 28% farmers from respiratory diseases and 13% from eye diseases.

There are several local alternative and indigenous methods instead of toxic chemical pesticides that could be used by the farmers in local level. They should be publicized and promoted.

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On behalf of the group Sayed Aminul Haque described present climate finance as little coordinated and the climate change strategic action plan as a stand alone document, as the present focal point Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoF&E) has little authority over other ministries. He also criticized the country ownership should not be mere a government or bureaucratic ownership; it should also be open for affected community, media and other groups. He cited examples that Indonesia and Philippines has already created supra coordination body like separate climate change commission and council.

Tahmina Rahman from Article 19, express concern of present practice of transparency, access in information, and automatic disclosure, in two climate funds in the country. Mamunur Rashid of GOB/UNDP stated that annually 5 to 7 % of national budget is going to climate sensitive projects; he said that climate finance is an over all and multi sect oral issue thus it should be coordinated in overall ADP (annual development plan) process. Snehal V Soneji of Oxfam said that related to the preparation of climate planning integration country policy leaders from political parties come forward to discuss this issues.

Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman as the chief guest in his concluding remarks said that the country in fact should not be expecting much from  foreign assistance in respect of climate finance although the country has continuously  to raise voice in international level, while country has sufficient level of foreign currency reserve, he also plea that there should be a national designated authority as a supra coordination body in respect of climate planning, which is also a requirement of Green Climate Fund.

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An agreement was signed at the conference between Professor Yunus and the Minister of agriculture of Haiti allocating ten thousand hectares of Government land to the Yunus Social business for using in reforesting of Haiti.

Also Haiti Social Business Fund, founded by Professor Yunus signed an agreement with Deutsche Bank to receive a loan of one million dollar. This adds to the existing 5 million dollars that the Fund has for investment in new social businesses in Haiti.

Two very large Haiti social business projects are joint ventures with giant multinational companies. One is on reforesting the whole of Haiti which lost virtually all its forest coverage in the last couple of decades. Richard Branson through Virgin United and Clinton Foundation together with Haiti Social Business Fund have agreed to form a joint venture to accomplish this goal. Another large joint venture is shaping up with Brazil Foods (BR Foods) which will produce poultry and create country-wide  employment for rural population of Haiti. President Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe are actively supporting the social business initiatives in Haiti.

Professor Yunus was honoured by the Prime Minister of Albania at gala dinner where the Prime Minister Edi Rama presented Professor Yunus the Lifetime achievement Award and praised his contribution in helping overcome poverty in in Albania and Kosovo. The gala dinner was organized by National Albanian American Association attended by President of Albania, Prime Minister of Albania, Prime minister of Kosovo, Prime minister of Macedonia, cabinet members of Albania and Kosovo, several US congressmen, business leaders of Albanian American community in the USA on the sidelines of the UN meeting. Yunus Social Business has been working in Albania for last three years and a series of social businesses in Albania with the direct support of the Albanian government in a major employment generation initiative in that country. Professor Yunus has been running Grameen Kosovo since 1990n immediately after the cease fire agreement was signed and kosovo became a UN administered territory. Professor Yunus gave the keynote address at the dinner elaborating his experience in Albania and Kosovo.

Professor Yunus is scheduled to address the Global Citizen Festival in the Central Lawn of Central Park on 28 September, a big event to be attended by 50,000 young people to end extreme poverty before he leaves for New Hampshire to attend state wide Social Business Competition in that state.

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CSE comes to you with a unique offering of its first book on some of the famous but forgotten recipes from across the length and breadth of India. This book is beautifully presented with unbelievably true to life photographs, page after page.

Food is about culture and, most importantly, about biodiversity. Each region of India, indeed the world, is diverse in its food habits. It has its own recipes; it cooks with different ingredients; it eats differently. This is not by design.

Most are specific to the ecosystem they grow in. This richness of variety resulted in culinary methods that were equally diverse and equally rich. If biodiversity disappears we will lose the food wealth on our plates. Food will become impersonal. It will become a sterile package designed for universal size and taste.

It is for this reason that the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth decided to put together a compendium of recipes that originate in different regions and plants. This colourful book is an attempt to celebrate the knowledge of plants and their properties; how to best cook them to bring out their flavours and smells.

We hope you will share our passion for food that brings back this connection — between our stomach, our kitchen, our life and the world around us. We hope you will cook these recipes and enjoy their taste. We hope you will join us in learning more about ways to build biodiversity in our world.

HOW TO GET YOUR COPY

You can choose any of the following options:
1. For Online link please visit:  https://csestore.cse.org.in/books/anil-agarwal-readers/first-food.html

2. You can also send a Cheque/DD for Rs 950/-, drawn in favour of Centre for Science and Environment,
payable at New Delhi, to the following address:

Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110 062

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Abu Baker :: A team of the Bangladeshi delegates for One Young World Summit 2013 assembled at Yunus Centre to meet Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

One Young World founded in 2009 by David Jones and Kate Robertson, is a London-based charity that gathers together young people from around the world, helping them make lasting connections to create positive change. They stage an annual four day long Summit where young delegates, backed by the One Young World Counselors  debate and formulate solutions for the pressing issues the world faces. No youth-dominated event outside the Olympic Games brings together more countries than One Young World. At the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Summits delegates were guided by a line-up of Counselors that included Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, Kofi Annan, HKH Prince Haakon of Norway, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and Singer Joss Stone.

Organizers of One Young Summit which will be held this year in Johannesburg, South Africa from 2-5 October have requested Professor Muhammad Yunus and Yunus Centre to bring a delegation from Bangladesh to participate in the One Young World Summit. A team of ten young people will participate in the summit and will work as ambassadors on different thematic issues in future. Among them, four are the the children of Grameen Bank families who are now studying in Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and theGrameen Caledonian College of Nursing.

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof will speak at the Summit and 20,000 young people will be present at the opening of the Summit at the 2010 World Cup Football Stadium in Johannesburg.

There are currently more than 130 projects and initiatives involving in excess of 100 countries.

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Abu Baker :: A pilot course has been introduced to develop expertise in key environmental engineering positions to address the increasing need to adhere to environmental laws and regulations in factories that produce waste water.

Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry (PSES), a joint project of the governments of Bangladesh and Germany, implemented by Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in close cooperation with international buyer IKEA collated this 60-hours certificate course offered at the National Institute of Textile Engineering & Research (NITER). NITER is a constituent of the University of Dhaka, run by Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) under the Ministry of Textiles & Jute, Government of Bangladesh.

The textile sector alone has around 1700 washing, dyeing and finishing units that discharge waste water. This course is aimed at developing technical expertise in the area of industrial waste water management, specifically the Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP). Competency in the management of ETPs has been inadequate to meet national environmental standards, despite legal requirements, and lack of certified ETP personnel has become a major obstacle for prospective suppliers in Bangladesh to enter long-term business relationships with many prominent brands. The Government of Bangladesh also now encourages industries to have certified ETP personnel in order to renew environmental clearance certificates.

The curriculum of this course was developed as a joint initiative by GIZ and German Associations for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA).

A ceremony awarding certificates to the first batch of ETP operatorswas held on the 16^th of September 2013 in Dhaka.

PSES is a Public Private Partnership in the context of the environmental and eco-efficiency component of the project. Magnus Schmid, Program Coordinator of PSES said, “This course is a first of its kind as to date there were no formal training courses available in Bangladesh. As a result, the industry employed staff in key environmental engineering positions with little or no expertise in their field of work. Our expectation is that these courses will enable factories to comply with environmental standards and improve ETP operations.”

Mr. Jahangir Alamin, President, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and Chairman, Governing Body, NITER said, “It is essential after incidents like the Rana Plaza collapse to ensure factories comply with new and existing environmental standards to avoid any crisis due to waste water pollution. I wish to encourage more factory owners to send their ETP operators for such courses, the second round of which is expected to start in October this year.”

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