Bangladesh Private Sector Working Committee will be established to support the country's private sector to work together with the government, the UN, as well as national and international development organisations.
This initiative will facilitate advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Bangladesh.
The establishment of the Bangladesh Private Sector Working Committee (BPSWC) was jointly announced on Sunday by President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md. Jashim Uddin, President of Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) Ardashir Kabir and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis, said a press release on Sunday.
The signing ceremony to establish the committee took place at the UN Resident
Coordinator's Office in Bangladesh and was attended by representatives of the
private sector, international organisations, and the government of Bangladesh, including the country director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Tuomo Poutiainen, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh Stefan Liller, Additional Secretary of SDG Affairs at Prime Minister's Office Mohd. Monirul Islam, Adviser of Safety Council, FBCCI Brig Gen (Retd) Abu Nayeem Md. Shahidullah, Adviser of trade and tariff policy, FBCCI Manzur Ahmed and the Secretary General of BEF Farooq Ahmed.
Welcoming the establishment of BPSWC, the UN resident coordinator in
Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis highlighted the committee's potential to further the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its plan to link its work with
the 2022-2026 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, signed by the UN and the Government.
"When it comes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Bangladesh's private
sector has so much to gain, and so much to give. The UN welcomes the creation
of a Bangladesh Private Sector Working Committee, because private sector
action on the SDGs is essential to realise the 2030 Agenda, and enable
Bangladesh to achieve inclusive sustainable development that leaves no one
behind" the UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh said.
President of FBCCI and the Chairman of BPSWC Md. Jashim Uddin, President of
the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) and the Co-chairman of BPSWC
Ardashir Kabir shared their views on the BPSWC's plans to help private
companies and support the implementation of SDGs.
ILO country director for Bangladesh Tuomo Poutiainen and UNDP resident
representative in Bangladesh Stefan Liller welcomed the establishment of the
committee, adding that the UN agencies are looking forward to working
together with the BPSWC for the sustainable development of the country and
ensuring smooth transition towards the LDC Graduation.
A total of 19 representatives of the Bangladeshi private sector companies
have been selected to be members of the committee, while the UN resident
coordinator or delegates of the UN agencies may participate in BPSWC meetings
as guests and observers or on the invitation of the committee's Chairman.
