Speakers at an international event in the capital on Sunday placed greater emphasis on the political will of governments to address various problems faced by displaced people across borders due to disasters, including those associated with the adverse effects of climate change.
Noting the rise in the number of displaced people due to disasters in South Asia, they also called for a timely response from the international community to lessen the suffering of affected people.
The experts were speaking at the “Annual Thematic Meeting of the Platform on Disaster Displacement”, which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a local hotel, with the theme of “Working together for addressing displacement due to slow and sudden-onset disasters.”
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen was present as chief guest at the inaugural session, which was addressed, among others, by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Nozibur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Shah Kamal, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director for Global Compact, Michele Klein Solomon, and French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marrie Annick Bourdin.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque presided over the meeting of the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) segmented in a number of thematic sessions highlighting pressing issues in relation to displaced people.
Bangladesh is the current Chair of the PDD, a state-led initiative launched by Bangladesh and Germany as a successor to the Nansen Initiative during the World Humanitarian Summit held in the Turkish city of Istanbul in May 2016.
The platform has a steering group comprised of 17 countries and the European Union, as well as an advisory committee with over 100 organizations and experts from across the globe.
The main objective of the PDD is to strengthen the protection of persons displaced across borders in the context of disasters, including those linked to the adverse effects of climate change.
“Nature has its own course and will not wait for us. Whether we recognize it or not, climate change is taking place with increased numbers and ferocity of disasters. This surely will lead to more displacement unless we, as global citizens, commit ourselves to face these challenges with rock-solid commitment and determination,” said the Foreign Minister.
“I am afraid, the problem will aggravate so much so that, it may be too late to reverse the course of misery, displacements, and human disasters,” he said.
“I believe, if we work together in collaboration with rock-solid commitment to save planet earth and massive displacement, owing to erratic climate change, we will surely find a way out,” he added.
Momen also pointed out: “Unfortunately, the recent influx of nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas of Myanmar is eating up our forests and risking an environmental disaster.”
Expert opinions
In their deliberations, experts from various countries talked about the adaptation of climate change often responsible for disasters, the pledges and status of implementation of various commitments made by member states, the preventive, adaptive and responsive action with regard to the Asia Pacific region, addressing human mobility in the region, global and regional policy frameworks, and the implementation of frameworks at regional and national levels.
They tried to project the magnitude of the problems faced by displaced people, who are mainly the vulnerable in societies, and called for ensuring inclusiveness and human rights of the affected.
They hailed the adoption of a global compact on migration and the global compact on refugees last year, but pointed out that mere adoption is not going to make any difference unless these are implemented timely.
A Atiq Rahman, Executive Director General of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, stressed the need for more resources and efforts in adaptation and mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change.
Bangladesh Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Shameem Ahsan, said that alongside global and regional efforts, there should be cooperation at the sub-regional level to address problems.
Translation of words into implementation, in partnership with the United Nations and other stakeholders is important, said IOM Director Solomon.
