Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave Dhaka on Tuesday (November 10) for an official visit to Türkiye to attend the World Leaders’ Summit of COP31, scheduled to be held in Antalya on November 11-12.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a plenary session on November 12 and hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury briefed reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) A.K.M. Shahidul Karim and senior ministry officials were also present.
Bangladesh is looking to arrange bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Australian Prime Minister, the President of Uzbekistan and the British Foreign Secretary.
The Prime Minister will outline Bangladesh’s position and expectations on climate justice, the historical responsibility of developed countries, climate finance, adaptation, addressing loss and damage, and climate-resilient sustainable development.
His spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, relevant government officials, and other officials will accompany the Prime Minister.
The Foreign Secretary said arrangements for the Prime Minister’s engagements on the sidelines of the summit were still being finalised.
A meeting with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is also being explored.
The meetings are expected to cover strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, cooperation in addressing climate change and other matters of mutual interest.
The Foreign Secretary hoped that these engagements would create new opportunities to advance Bangladesh’s economic and geopolitical interests.
Asked about Turkish company Çelebi’s interest in providing ground handling services at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal as a partner of Biman Bangladesh Airlines under the Japanese consortium, he said detailed discussions on that particular proposal were unlikely during such a meeting.
On compensation for climate-related losses and damage, Chowdhury said Bangladesh presents estimates of the damage it has suffered before international forums to raise awareness and mobilise cooperation.
He said there were various estimates of Bangladesh’s climate-related losses, which the country highlights in global discussions.
Presenting these concerns internationally helps create awareness about Bangladesh’s situation and works in the country’s favour, he added.
Asked how much compensation Bangladesh had secured through the COP process, the foreign secretary said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change would be able to provide the relevant information.
He also distinguished compensation from the broader assistance and cooperation Bangladesh receives through presenting its position in international forums.
The Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh contributes only 0.05 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.
Against this backdrop, securing climate justice is one of Bangladesh’s foremost priorities, he said.
Other priorities include adaptation finance, addressing loss and damage, and ensuring the effective implementation of developed countries’ climate finance commitments.
At the summit, Bangladesh will highlight its achievements in climate resilience and share its experience in addressing climate impacts across South Asia and the wider Asian region.
Bangladesh has also taken an initiative to establish a jute pavilion in the conference’s Green Zone to showcase jute’s diverse uses, environmentally friendly characteristics and potential as an alternative to plastic.
A joint declaration between Bangladesh and Türkiye on the use and promotion of jute and jute products is also envisaged during the conference, the foreign secretary said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organise two side events in the Blue Zone on November 12 and 13.
One will focus on gender-based vulnerability in Bangladesh resulting from the adverse impacts of climate change, while the other will address the challenges of promoting environmentally friendly, biodegradable and zero-waste jute products.
The events will draw international attention to the particular risks women face because of climate change and the scope for expanding the use of jute products as alternatives to synthetic polymer-based products.
Chowdhury said Türkiye is presiding over this year’s conference, while Australia is co-chairing the formal climate negotiation process.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had coordinated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other relevant ministries and agencies to prepare for Bangladesh’s participation.
The country’s positions and priorities were determined through inter-ministerial discussions and consultations with stakeholders, he added.
The Foreign Secretary expressed the hope that Bangladesh’s participation under the Prime Minister’s leadership would strengthen its position in international climate diplomacy and provide an opportunity to showcase its efforts and achievements in building climate resilience.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam recently said Bangladesh would urge developed countries to provide climate finance in the form of grants rather than loans and take responsibility for their contribution to global carbon emissions at the upcoming COP31.
COP, officially known as the Conference of the Parties, is the annual United Nations climate summit.
Bangladesh will highlight its achievements in climate resilience and share its experience in addressing the impacts of climate change across South Asia and the wider Asian region.
At the same time, the country will draw attention to the support it needs to tackle future climate challenges, particularly the importance of ensuring that climate finance comes in the form of grants rather than loans.
Bangladesh will also press major carbon-emitting countries to take responsibility for their emissions and ensure accountability in global climate negotiations.
"Although Bangladesh's contribution to global carbon emissions is almost negligible, we are ultimately among those suffering the consequences," Shama Obaed said recently.
The government will also showcase the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman over the past six months to address climate change and improve the environment.
These include canal excavation, tree plantation drives and a stronger focus on solar power and renewable energy, all of which contribute to climate change mitigation and environmental protection.
An inter-ministerial coordination meeting chaired by State Minister Shama last month reviewed Bangladesh's preparations for the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).
The meeting discussed various aspects of the preparations, including the Prime Minister's participation in the high-level segment of the summit.
It also reviewed Bangladesh's priorities and concerns, possible bilateral engagements and seminars to be organised at the country's pavilions in the Blue and Green Zones on the sidelines of COP31.