New York, 12 December, 2019: Like every year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted Bangladesh’s flagship resolution on the ‘Culture of Peace’, today. The Permanent Representative (PR) of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima introduced the resolution where she called upon the UN Member States and all relevant stakeholders to advance the message of ‘Culture of Peace’.

In her statement, the PR said, “Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is carrying the legacy of championing the Culture of Peace and people’s empowerment. During the first term of her government, on 13 September 1999, the UNGA adopted by consensus the resolution 53/243 on the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and since then, Bangladesh has been facilitating this resolution at the Assembly every year”.

The PR also mentioned that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh is marching along the path of development with a “people’s centric development strategy” under her Vision 2021 and Vision 2041.

Recalling the observance of the 20th anniversary of the seminal Declaration and Program of Action on ‘Culture of Peace’ at the UN on 13 September 2019, the Ambassador said, “That meeting recognized the enduring value of the Culture of Peace for the full and effective implementation of the Agenda 2030. We see Culture of Peace as an overarching notion strengthening the message for peace in years to come and moving beyond the landmark Agenda 2030”.

Highlighting the resolution, Ambassador Fatima stated that the 75^thanniversary of the UN, as well as, two landmark anniversaries -20th anniversary of WPS (Women, Peace and Security) and Beijing +25 coming up in 2020, would be significant occasions to operationalize the concept of a Culture of Peace”.

In this year’s resolution, the international community welcomed not only the observance of the 20^th anniversary of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace but also acknowledged its relevance in the 21^st century and also among others for full and effective implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The effort was made also to show the relevance of Culture of Peace across the three pillars of the work of the UN in facing contemporary global challenges.

This year, 126 countries from a cross-regional representation of the UN Member States co-sponsored this resolution, so far the highest, showing the broad-based support for it. The continued support to this resolution, facilitated by Bangladesh every year, is a testimony to the huge confidence of international community on Bangladesh as a proponent of global peace.-Press Release