Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus issued a sharp call for United Nations reform, warning that "extreme nationalism and indifference to human pain" are destroying decades of human progress and putting multilateral diplomacy "under strain."

In a message marking the UN's 80th anniversary, Professor Yunus said the world body must change to meet the current moment.

"The United Nations must continue to evolve and adapt if it is to fulfill our collective aspiration for peace and multilateralism," he stated. "We join the call for reforming the UN to make it more agile, integrated, and equipped to deliver the aspirations of all people in an evolving global landscape" BSS reported. 

The Chief Adviser pointed to dire global conflicts, stating, "The world has become an audience to live broadcasts of a genocide happening in Gaza."

He also drew attention to the crisis closer to home, saying, "In our own backyard, we have witnessed the deprivation of rights and persecution of the Rohingyas, rooted in cultural identity-based politics, for which we have called for renewed attention of the international community."

Professor Yunus noted that while Global South countries like Bangladesh "thrive in a rules-based multilateral system," they now "witness with concern the tensions of unilateral measures and unequal treatment in bilateral relations."

Despite these challenges, he pledged that Bangladesh would "continue to do its part to ensure a stable and peaceful world, as envisioned in the UN Charter."

Since joining the UN in 1974, Professor Yunus said, Bangladesh has been an "active, responsible, and contributing member," particularly in its role as one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping.

"Bearing the flag of the culture of peace, Bangladesh has been participating in the most perilous UN peacekeeping operations across the globe," he said, paying tribute to the "valiant soldiers (who) have made the supreme sacrifice for the sake of establishing peace."

BOB Post