Asia-Pacific leaders have praised Bangladesh for its extraordinary socio-economic successes leading to its LDC graduation eligibility earlier this year.
The appreciation came at a high-level panel discussion titled "Breaking the inequality trap towards a sustainable LDC graduation: Perspectives from Bangladesh and the region", organized jointly by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok, UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Office and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (UNESCAP) in Bangkok on Monday.
The discussion was organized on the sidelines of the 74th UNESCAP Ministerial Session being held in Bangkok on May 14-16, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, said a press release.
The panelists of the discussion included Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa, Ly Thuch, Senior Minister of Cambodia, Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister of Thailand, Secretary of State for Economic Affairs of the Laos People's Republic and Dasho Sonam Tshong, Foreign Secretary of Bhutan.
Hongjoo Hahm, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, Valierie Cliff, Deputy Regional Director of UNDP Asia Pacific Regional office and Manuela Francisco, Head of Trade and Development for Asia-Pacific of the World Bank also spoke on the occasion.
Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Nahida Sobhan presented the keynote paper at the side event, said the press release.
Speaking on the occasion, State Minister MA Mannan thanked Bangladesh's bilateral and multilateral development partners on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He underlined that graduation of the least developed countries of the Asia and the Pacific should be coupled with appropriate package of trade, FDI and aid measures and benefits to be phased out gradually as per the development needs of the LDC concerned.
Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UNESCAP and Ambassador of Bangladesh to Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem said the high-level event was organized by Bangladesh to showcase Bangladesh's recent eligibility for graduation from LDCs status last March as well as to highlight its sustained socio-economic successes over the past decade under the political leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
The Ambassador also informed that Bangladesh would be tabling a resolution at the 74th UNESCAP session to reaffirm its call for support from international community for Asia pacific LDCs for their smooth and sustainable graduation.
The high-profile Bangladesh-UNDP-UNESCAP side event was widely attended by leaders of delegations and Ambassadors and permanent representatives of more than 40 UNESCAP member States as well as Heads of UN Specialized agencies and civil society representatives from ASEAN countries.
In their statements, all graduating LDCs sought continuation of GSP and ODA benefits for additional years even after their graduation to prevent graduated countries slide back to economic vulnerabilities.
