Bangladesh has taken over the presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Ministers of Finance for the term 2020-2022 from the Marshall Islands.
Dhaka, which assumed the responsibility at a virtual meeting on Monday, pledged to be the voice of vulnerable countries and to promote their interests in the global platform.
The Ministers’ Troika from Bangladesh, Marshall Islands and Ethiopia, along with the CVF expert advisory group, CVF secretariat and GCA headquarters, attended the meeting and discussed how to further build on the current accomplishments of CVF and V-20.
The participants shared experiences and ideas and sought support for a common cause, which is to protect the interests of the vulnerable countries.
The CVF is a global partnership of 48 countries that are disproportionately affected by the consequences of global warming. The CVF was founded by the Maldives government before the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which sought to increase awareness regarding the causes of the countries considered most vulnerable.
Bangladesh was the third chair of the CVF from 2011 to 2013. It established the first Trust Fund of CVF.
Out of the membership of CVF, V20, representing close to 700 million people threatened by climate change and spanning different regions of the world, held their inaugural meeting on October 8, 2015, in Lima, Peru and issued a declaration and announced the formation of the V20 group within the CVF.
Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said: "Today, we particularly discussed the priorities of Bangladesh during her presidency of these two important platforms."
"Among other priorities, the creation of a new CVF and V20 Trust Fund, possibility of having a new special rapporteur on climate change, appointing CVF’s thematic envoys and special envoys for climate change, publication of the third edition of the Climate Vulnerability Monitor will rank high during our presidency," he said.
"We will also highlight the issues of loss and damage and the cases of displacement of climate refugees caused by climate change," he added.
The foreign minister also said: "We require support and full cooperation from all member states of CVF, CVF secretariat, GCA headquarters and other development partners for a successful presidency."
He urged all to attach the highest level of priority to CVF and V20 and to contribute by providing technical and financial support in carrying out the priority tasks ahead.
"Above all, I request the development partners to assist the CVF generously as investing in climate today will be a safeguard for our children tomorrow," he said.