NEW YORK, Sept 24 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina endowed the world with her new peace model based on people's empowerment, saying that cherished global peace can prevail under a multidimensional democratic approach with six mutually reinforcing multipliers.
The multipliers, she said, are: eradication of poverty and hunger, reduction of inequality, mitigation of deprivation, inclusion of excluded people, acceleration of human development and elimination of terrorism.
The Prime Minister introduced her peace model while addressing the 66th annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the main policymaking organ of the United Nations, in Bangla here.
"In fact, my lifetime experience has inspired me to come up with the new peace model based on people's empowerment... I call it the 'people's empowerment and a peace-centric development model' that reaffirms that all people should be treated equally and emphasizes the scope of human capabilities which can be realized through peace," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said prosperity is achievable in an environment of peace which is possible by individual nations by sincere implementation of what is right, or sometimes under the guidance
of the United Nations.
"Let us all try to test this model of people's empowerment which I believe has the potential to transform our world of seven billion people into one where our future generations may prosper and live in happiness," she said.
The Prime Minister repeated her appeal to declare Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations, spoken by about 300 million people across the world. She reiterated her firm commitment to settle all existing problems with neighbours through discussion and breaking the nexus between terrorism, extremism, and radicalism.
Sheikh Hasina hailed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his wise selection of the theme "Mediation in the peaceful settlement of international disputes" for this year's general debate and sought support for Bangladesh's annual flagship resolution - "A Culture of Peace," - launched in 2000 when she was the Prime Minister for the first time.
At the very onset of her speech, the Prime Minister welcomed South Sudan as the 193rd member of the United Nations and warmly congratulated the people of the newest African state on attaining their freedom and independence.
Terming the peace as the basis for development, Sheikh Hasina said, "Peace prevails when justice prevails. Therefore, justice at home and abroad is important for ensuring a peaceful mediation and settlement of disputes."
She said repression, absence of rule of law, inequality and economic disparity, deprivation, denial of secularism and multi-ethnicity, negligence of equal rights for women as well as the lack of transparency and accountability of governments led to the loss of over five million lives from 1964 to 2011.
The Prime Minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who espoused "friendship towards all, malice towards none" as the foreign policy of independent Bangladesh, had made the public demand for "peaceful settlement of disputes" from this podium 37 years ago.
"Thus, justice for peace found its place in our government's domestic and foreign policy contributing to strengthening Bangladesh's secular, democratic and progressive ideals," she
said.
Sheikh Hasina expressed the hope that the UN, the only legitimate and universally-accepted international body, would deal with new challenges of intrastate ethnic strife, terrorism, cross-boundary crimes, climate change, poverty, energy and water security, as well as widening gap between the rich and the poor.
She said Bangladesh is partnered in many of the UN endeavours for peace, democracy and development which demonstrates the country's strong commitment to conflict resolution.
"Bangladesh so far contributed 102,294 peacekeepers to 52 missions in 36 countries including the UN's first-ever women police unit in Haiti. And some 103 Bangladeshi valiant peacekeepers sacrificed their lives for the cause of world peace," she said.
The Prime Minister said as the coordinator of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Bangladesh is always advocating for peace building, development and preventive diplomacy in post-conflict societies in UN Peace Building Commission.
As a member of the UN Human Rights Council and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Bangladesh is consciously working for promoting democracy, secularism, justice and rule of law, equal rights of women, children, minorities, and other vulnerable groups.
Sheikh Hasina said as executive body member of UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO, and FAO, Bangladesh is committed to setting global norms and standards in development practices.
But she deplored that Bangladesh woefully remained underrepresented in various UN forums including at planning and strategy levels of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
Focusing on the country's perspectives, the Prime Minister highlighted two major conflict resolutions during her office as Prime Minister in 1996-2001. "One is Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and the other is Ganges Water Sharing Agreement with India."
She also mentioned the mutiny of border forces after forming the government in 2009, saying she chose mediated settlement, thereby avoiding possible further loss of life.
"The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord ended a 20-year conflict that cost over 20,000 lives. During the same term, I mediated the signing of the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with neighbouring India," she said.
Sheikh Hasina expressed her firm commitment to settling all existing problems with neighbouring India through discussion saying, "During my current tenure, only this month, we have mediated and signed MoUs with India on our border demarcation, an issue that had been pending for the last 64 years obstructing the everyday life of my people."
Clarifying her government's position in trying the persons responsible for criminal activities during Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971, she said the criminals' eventual punishment will strengthen our democracy and demonstrate that the state is capable of delivering justice.
"Since there can be no peace without justice, we have established an independent International Crimes Tribunal to try those responsible for war crimes committed during our Liberation War in 1971. As a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), we believe in the statute's provision of bringing perpetrators to justice. It is the only way to heal the wrongs of the past, and bring national reconciliation," she said.
Recalling the terrorist acts so far she faced in her personal and political life, the Prime Minister in her speech reiterated her full commitment to battling terrorism in all its forms saying her government has a "zero tolerance policy" towards terrorism.
At this stage, Sheikh Hasina recalled brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members on August 15, 1975 and the grenade attack on her in a peace rally on August 21, 2004.
"I often think of all the victims of terrorism, especially those of the 9/11 attacks in New York and elsewhere around the world. Indeed, if peace is to prevail, these terrorists must be brought to justice," she asserted.
The Prime Minister said in pursuing the Millennium Development Goals, the government is also fulfilling the people's aspirations. "Though I received the UN Award for MDG-4 on reducing child mortality last year, Bangladesh is also on track on MDG-1 on poverty alleviation, MDG-2 on universal primary education, MDG-3 on gender equality and MDG-5 on reducing maternal mortality," she said.
"Bangladesh's Poverty Reduction Strategy intends to raise 12
million people out of poverty by 2015, she said, adding Bangladesh has integrated women's education in its state policy, while steps are on to make the education for girls up to graduation free of tuition fee.
Stating the women's participation in politics of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said participation of women has increased after 2008 election. "Women now occupy high positions in the cabinet, judiciary, administration and in UN peacekeeping missions and businesses," she said.
She highlighted Bangladesh's success in reducing maternal mortality and said primary healthcare services are being delivered through 11,000 community health centres. "Steps have been taken for raising awareness about autism, while the Global Autism Public Health Initiative has been launched in Dhaka to help disadvantaged children with autism.
To pursue the socioeconomic development to fulfill their MDGs, the Prime Minister said the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh need international support. "The support must come from granting us market access, removing trade barriers, fulfillment of Overseas Development Aid (ODA) and combating climate change," she said.
Such support, she said, is especially important for Bangladesh due to extra strain from climate change. "It's now time for development partners to implement their commitment," she said.
Sheikh Hasina called upon all members of the UN to make their sincere efforts to have a binding agreement in Durban at the end of this year for reduction of greenhouse gases, migration of climate-induced persons and free technology transfer to developing countries to address climate change impacts.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of Lesotho Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Luksic, Slovak President Ms. Iveta Radicova, Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, and Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam also spoke in today's UNGA session.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Mirza Azam, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Dr AK Abdul Momen, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, PM's son Sajib Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Hossain, among others, were present.
NB: This news has been published by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
