New York, 23 June 2020: “Countries would have to collaborate strongly for a sustainable recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic that would complement their efforts to eradicate poverty, by ensuring food security and strengthening public health systems”, said the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima at the virtual launching of the UN Alliance for Poverty Eradication in New York today.

The President of General Assembly Mr. Tijjani Mohammad Bande took the initiative to create the Alliance for galvanizing the Member States, the international organizations and other stakeholders to support actions geared towards poverty eradication and implementation of the SDGs. A considerable number of countries joined the Alliance.

While announcing her country’s joining the Alliance, the PR of Bangladesh held out the ‘people-centric’ and ‘inclusive’ poverty eradication policies of Bangladesh that contributed to its significant reduction of poverty.She  mentioned of the government’s several initiatives including investment in building resilience against climate vulnerabilities, use of ICT, and the promotion of mobile and remote banking and agro-marketing that helped millions of people to come out of poverty.

However, Ambassador Fatima expressed her apprehension that the impact of the pandemic, particularly the disruption in global supply chain and low remittances might slow down the country’s remarkable poverty alleviation efforts. Mentioning that poverty eradication would remain central to its post COVID recovery plans, the PR alluded to the extensive stimulus packages of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the extended social safety net programmes aiming at supporting its marginalized people and the economy particularly the hardest hit industries and agriculture sectors. She also reflected that the private sector should play a complementing role in the economic recovery from the pandemic.

The ambassadors of a significant number of countries expressed the concern that the COVID 19 pandemicmight push millions of people to poverty and impede the implementation of the SDGs as resources were diverted to meet the emergency health crisis. They expressed hope that the Alliance for Poverty Eradication would provide the platform to forge strong partnership at the multilateral level and with the development partners. – Press Release