There is limited scope for Bangladesh to secure special funds from the United Nations or work exclusively in the country's interest while serving as president of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament today (27 August).
He said Bangladesh, as president of the General Assembly, would be responsible for representing all 193 UN member states and therefore must work for the interests of all countries.
The foreign minister made the remarks in response to a supplementary question from Dhaka-14 MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem during the third session of the 13th Parliament.
The session was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
The MP asked how Bangladesh would benefit from securing the presidency of the General Assembly and whether the government was taking any initiative to secure special funds for the country using the position.
In response, Khalilur Rahman said the role of the General Assembly president was comparable to that of the speaker of parliament, who represents all members of the House.
"Just as the speaker of parliament is the speaker of all members of parliament, as president of the General Assembly, he has to represent all 193 member states of the United Nations. So there is limited scope to work for any particular country," he said.
He urged lawmakers to take the matter into consideration, saying Bangladesh could discharge the responsibility with pride and credibility only by working for everyone.
'It was an impossible mission'
The foreign minister said Bangladesh faced a major challenge in securing the presidency of the General Assembly.
He said when Prime Minister Tarique Rahman nominated him for the position, it was Bangladesh's first such initiative from Asia.
While Bangladesh had only 10 weeks to campaign, his rival had 10 years for campaigning, he said.
"I told the honourable prime minister that you have sent me on an impossible mission. But he believed we could do it. Under his capable leadership, we were able to achieve the impossible," Khalilur Rahman said.
He described Bangladesh's election to the presidency of the General Assembly as a significant achievement on the international stage.
However, he said Bangladesh would have to consider the interests of all UN member states alongside its own national interests while carrying out the responsibilities of the position.
Khalilur Rahman / UN General Assembly / UNGA President / Bangladesh parliament / Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad
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