Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh on Saturday urged the government to set up a national level mechanism through necessary consultation for ensuring participation of non-state actors (NSAs) to fight against COVID-19, reports BSS.
“The non-state actors, given their national-, sectorial- and grassroots-level presence across the economy and society, could be an effective interlocutor between the government agencies and the citizens. Although some interactions are coming to pass between the district or upazila and these organisations, there needs to be a policy announcement from the highest level in this regard,” said Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya at a virtual media briefing.
He said the local government bodies and local administration need to be given explicit instructions and guidelines to cooperate with the activities of the NSAs engaged in anti-COVID-19 activities, and provide adequate attention to the lists, prepared by them, of the underserved people in the locality. “The local administration may also be advised that the non-state actors, including the research organisations, may be supported in their efforts to monitor and establish the transparency and accountability of the government’s initiatives,” he added.
Dr Debapriya said while the NGOs are already doing their best in various areas in the fight against COVID-19, the efforts could be significantly scaled up if the government purposefully utilises them in a number of areas including conducting health-related awareness, raising awareness about the government-announced incentives, preparing list of underserved people, distribution of relief materials (food) at household level and channelling cash fund to the vulnerable families.
He also called upon the government to draw up a programme to take mobile banking literacy at the grassroots in collaboration with the NGOs through training and capacity building. “Demand for money transfer through use of cell phone has increased tremendously under the present circumstances. Government has also decided to transfer the announced incentives directly to the intended beneficiaries through mobile money transfer,” he added.
Dr Debapriya underscored the need for setting up a mapping system of anti-COVID activities of the NGOs. Such mapping system, he said, will strengthen coordination, avoid duplication, reach out to risk-stress areas or communities, disseminate good practices and foster mutual learning.
The Platform will take initiatives to promote such an exercise, he added. He informed that the partners of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh along with their associates are actively dealing with the annihilation and destructions unleashed by COVID-19. “Two of the Platform’s Partner organisations started their works from the first week of January 2020, particularly through community radio, for improving awareness and sharing information on the crisis.
Most of the Partners got engaged by middle of March 2020 in direct response against the pandemic,” he added.
The major areas of their entanglements in order of importance are the following: awareness; food security; WASH; health; education; employment; agriculture; direct cash support; shelter; legal support; transparency in relief distribution; research and analysis; transport to affected people and rehabilitation.
One of the major roles of the partners in this context had been establishing linkage between the government’s initiatives and the target groups.
