Dhaka, Oct 09 (V7N): The United Nations (UN) has commended Bangladesh for its substantial contribution to peacekeeping missions worldwide. The acknowledgment came during a bilateral meeting held on Tuesday between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and UN Assistant Secretary General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, at the UN headquarters in New York, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.

Khiari lauded Bangladesh's leadership in supporting other nations, including the Gambia and Peru, in their peacekeeping efforts. The foreign secretary briefed the UN official on the interim government's initiatives in various sectors and sought the UN's continued support for Bangladesh’s journey in these key areas.

Both parties emphasized the longstanding partnership between Bangladesh and the UN, touching upon issues such as human rights, development, and the rule of law. The UN also expressed its commitment to maintaining its peace operations in collaboration with Bangladesh.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin delivered speeches at the Second and First Committees of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). During these addresses, he reaffirmed Bangladesh's dedication to strengthening its partnership with the UN and the international community, with the aim of fostering a peaceful, inclusive, and resilient nation in line with the principles of the student-mass-led "July-August Revolution."

In the Second Committee, Jashim highlighted the pressing global issues of conflicts, financial crises, inflation, rising commodity prices, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, advocating for measures to promote growth and resilience. He emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms to the global financial system, urgent climate action, and addressing illicit financial flows.

The foreign secretary also stressed the importance of equipping youth with quality education and digital skills to drive solutions and maintain peace as a foundation for sustainability. In the First Committee, Jashim called for collective global efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons and foster a culture of peace over war and violence.
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