Bangladesh's Prime Minister's Finance and Planning Adviser Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir has called on the United Nations to establish an international mechanism for debt restructuring, debt relief, debt suspension, and sustainable debt solutions. This move aims to assist developing countries in addressing mounting fiscal pressures arising from global shocks, including the Middle East crisis. Titumir emphasized that such measures are essential to enable developing nations to sustain investment in critical areas such as children, women, education, health, and social protection, while keeping progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track.
Fiscal Challenges and Commitments
Speaking during a meeting with UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban at UNICEF House in New York, Dr. Titumir highlighted the significant narrowing of Bangladesh's fiscal space due to rising energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and increasing debt burdens. Despite these challenges, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting vulnerable populations and advancing its vision of a democratic human welfare state under the 'Bangladesh First' philosophy.
Initiatives and Collaborations
Dr. Titumir outlined the government's commitment to a universal life-cycle-based social security system, placing women at the center of development. He mentioned the Family Card initiative, which aims to support women-led households and provide assistance across different life stages, including pregnancy, childhood, education, disability, and old age. Additionally, he sought UNICEF's cooperation in strengthening teachers' capacity through digital training and learning tools to improve the quality of education.
State Minister's Proposals
State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki attended the meeting and stressed the importance of reliable and integrated data systems. He outlined the government's proposed 'One Child, One Card, One Number, and One Wallet' strategy to improve birth registration, school enrollment, and access to public services. Saki also highlighted initiatives promoting multilingual learning, sports, culture, museum visits, and extracurricular activities as essential components of children's holistic development.
UNICEF's Support
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban congratulated Bangladesh's newly elected government and welcomed the country's election to the presidency of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly. He commended the government's ambitious initiatives to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children and women, despite significant fiscal constraints. Chaiban reaffirmed UNICEF's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Bangladesh in education, early childhood development, nutrition, social protection, teacher capacity-building, and child-focused data systems.
