Speakers at a national dialogue expressed concern yesterday that Bangladesh might lose its earlier key position at the next UN climate conference in Lima, Peru this year because of lack of preparation.
The country played a leading role on behalf of the LDCs at last year’s negotiations of the Conference of Parties (COP19) in Warsaw, Poland, and achieved a better position.
BIDS Professorial Fellow M Asaduzzaman said the Environment Ministry must take initiatives to prepare the country’s position before the COP20, to be held in December, as per rules of business.
PKSF Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said the developed countries were not implementing the commitments they had made with regard to providing assistance to the poor and developing nations vulnerable to climate change effects.
Executive Director of Coast Trust Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said Bangladesh is not on the right track. “We fear that we may lose what we have achieved,” he said mentioning that the Environment and Forest Ministry is not working properly.
The discussion was jointly organised by Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad and Dhaka School of Economics at the National Press Club.
