Shahriar urges to prioritise climate migrants in loss, damage fund

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam urged the international community to give priority to the climate migrants at the proposed Climate Loss and Damage Fund that is likely to be operationalized at the upcoming COP28.

"We would urge the World Bank as the proposed custodian of the (loss and damage) fund to give precedence to the issue of both preventing and managing climate induced migration in resource-constrained settings," he said.
 

The state minister was inaugurating the National Preparatory Consultation for 14th Global Forum of Migration and Development (GFMD) Summit at a city hotel here.

The consultation was organized by Foreign Affairs Ministry and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry as co-chairs of the Bangladesh Migration Compact Taskforce in collaboration with IOM.

The 14th Summit of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) will take place in January 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The state minister said the value of GFMD lies in bringing together countries of origin, transit and destination on the same platform to discuss the prevailing and emerging challenges to migration.
 
Despite multi-pronged efforts, Alam said, unsafe, unethical and irregular migration flows continue to persist at a high cost for human lives and dignity.
 
The global community witnessed impractical and unacceptable realities of border walls, forced returns, offshore detention centres, willful abandonment at seas, arbitrary immigration practices and transnational criminal networks proliferating around the world.
 
"It is a tragic irony that countries that claim to be vocal on human rights issues internationally often remain silent or in denial about such transgressions within their own territories," he said.
 
Regarding climate migration, the state minister said, the World Bank's Groundswell Report 2021 estimates that impacts of climate change in Bangladesh may drive 13.3 million people from their homes by 2050.
 
He said there is now scope for looking at climate displacement from the lens of loss and damage for the lasting impacts suffered by its undeserving victims.
 
Noting that Bangladesh has long been demanding for a dedicated fund for addressing climate-related loss and damage, he said, "We draw some satisfaction at the fact that the upcoming COP28 is likely to see the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund notionally agreed upon last year."
 
Alam said Bangladesh remains committed to ensure for climate migrants equitable share of climate financing for both loss and damage compensation and meaningful adaptation.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also spoke at the opening ceremony.