Common Fund for Commodities celebrates 32nd anniversary

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Common Fund for Commodities celebrates 32nd anniversary

It’s been 32 years since the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) was founded. The fourth meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Nairobi in May 1976, after a decade long negotiation, finally agreed on a proposal known as the ‘Integrated Programme for Commodities’, the key element in which was the Common Fund.

It took another 13 more years before the fund, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), could be launched formally in 1989 when enough member states ratified the treaty establishing the CFC. The Fund was intended to provide buffer stock and stock market support to those commodity dependent developing countries (CDDCs) to make the volatility of the commodity price tolerable. But the Fund was never in receipt of enough fund to make an intervention big enough to bring stability in the commodity market.

Accordingly, finally, member states came together in 2013 to review the structure and format of the fund and agreed to radically transform it in 2014 as an impact investment fund investing the commodity value chains to bring more productivity and resultant income for the smallholders and SMEs.

CFC projects vary from improving production and productivity of the commodities concerned to adding value through processing, finding new and innovative uses, value chain integration and price risk management. In all instances the projects aim to make commodity sector a source of sustainable growth by promoting efficient and sustainable commodity production, processing, and trade with resilient commodity value chains.

H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director-General of OPCW, and Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Director General of Common Fund for Commodities, Ms. Yvonne Mensah, Head of the Political Affairs and Protocol Branch of OPCW and Dr. Dilruba Nasrin, Belal’ spouse.

Over its 32 years of existence, the CFC has provided financing for around 440 projects in the total value of USD 798 million in more than 90 countries. The CFC currently operates as an impact investment fund, blending its own financial resources with those of public and international partners to support commodity sector development projects.

The chart below gives a snapshot of CFC’s activities and achievements during last 32 years.

H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias and Ambassador Belal launching the new CFC Website.

This anniversary came at a time when the international community remained gridlocked in the biggest public health crisis in a century. Nonetheless, in order to continue its critical work of providing much needed support to the smallholders and SMEs, CFC designed and hosted a new website on the eve of its 32nd anniversary. A brief ceremony was hosted in its headquarters in Amsterdam to launch the website while celebrating the anniversary. Due to the current applicable COVID-19 measures, the launching ceremony had to take place by teleconference with Mr. Andrey Kuleshov, Strategy and Development Advisor of CFC, acting as master of ceremony.

Guest of honour was H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the only Noble Laureate organisation in the Netherlands, who officially opened the new website. Mr. Arias was accompanied by Ms. Yvonne Mensah, Head of the Political Affairs and Protocol Branch of OPCW.

During the event, Ambassador Belal briefed H.E. Mr. Arias how CFC worked hard to keep its services open for the COVID-19 stricken business in the developing countries. CFC have been full of new initiatives even during the COVID-19 asserted Ambassador Belal. Not only CFC worked hard to propose and getting approved programs like “Emergency Liquidity Facility” to its Executive Board, whereby initially two million USD was allocated in aide to the COVID-19 affected projects. With this fund, CFC also extended enough flexibility to COVID-19 affected businesses in repaying their loans and other flexibilities so that businesses could continue to pay smallholders for their harvest, preferably in advance.

Throughout the COVID-19 , Ambassador Belal added, CFC continued to target critical weaknesses along the value chains affecting the smallholder producers, “which enabled us to achieve visible results with maximum efficiency” Ambassador Belal reaffirmed. Managing Director further mentioned the ongoing initiative on the formulation of a fund titled CIIF (Commodity Impact Investment Facility) and thereby enabling CFC to contribute more for alleviation of poverty.

Ambassador Arias wished CFC all the success for its efforts to alleviate more people from poverty and agreed that peace could only follow alleviation of poverty. Ambassador Belal stated that poverty alleviation is a multistakeholder mission and as such, urged all to extend their support to alleviate as many people as possible from poverty. Dr. Dilruba Nasrin, wife of Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal also participated in the ceremony.

Ancient Pharaonic coffin arrives for display in Egypt Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020

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Ancient Pharaonic coffin arrives for display in Egypt Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020

By Eleni-Vasiliki Bampaliouta

The ancient coffin of Priest Psamtik has arrived in Dubai to be displayed for Egypt Pavilion visitors at Expo Dubai 2020.

The coffin of priest Psamtik, ‘the son of Pediosir’ is one of the colored wooden coffins that were recently discovered in the area of Saqqara by the archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The coffin is decorated with a large necklace that ends with the heads of a falcon, with the goddess of sky “Nut” appears spreading her wings, carrying the two feathers of ‘Maat ‘(the goddess of truth and justice).

The center part of the coffin is decorated with religious incantations. Around its sides are two rows of “Was” deities holding a scepter in her hands. At the lower part of the coffin, two figures of the god of afterlife Anubis appear above his cottage standing in front of the deceased.

A group of modern replicas of King Tutankhamun have also arrived to be displayed at Egypt pavilion.

The collection of King Tutankhamun replicas  include his golden mask, his own sarcophagus, the ‘Ka’ guardian statue of the king, the special festive chair as well as the golden king’s throne.

The notion of coffins in the ancient Egyptian civilization is of great significance from a religious and symbolic point of view, as it is the most important phase in the burial process and the place where the body of the deceased is prepared for the process of judgment in the afterlife.

The transfer of these artifacts comes to assure the keenness of all Egyptian state agencies to maximize all their capabilities to grant the success of the Egyptian participation in Expo Dubai 2020 and to ensure that Egypt’s pavilion reflect the significance of the country’s role and leadership as one of the most top tourist attractions and archaeological destinations in the world.

Ciconia Consort heralds new concert season with Dutch premieres

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Ciconia Consort heralds new concert season with Dutch premieres

From Friday 8 October, the Hague string orchestra Ciconia Consort conducted by Dick van Gasteren will present the concert program Kaukasische Klanken. Together with soloist Isabelle van Keulen, Ciconia plays music from the Causcasus: a flourishing and exceptionally varied musical journey, full of Dutch premiers. Kaukasische Klanken will be played in Zutphen (October 8), The Hague (October 9), Delden (October 10) and Amsterdam (October 31).

Ciconia Consort starts the new concert season together with Isabelle van Keulen with music from the Caucasian countries. The mountainous region in EurAsia is at a crossroads of cultures; this results in an extraordinarily rich and varied musical culture and a concert with both folklore and meditative mysticism.

The concert program Kaukasische Klanken also includes musical works that have never been heard in the Netherlands before. The eastern-Arabic Mugham Poéme by Amirov, the lyrical and poetic film music Shushanic by Mirzoyan, and The Lost Balloon by the living Armeninan Hayrapetyan, full of ghostly cluster harmonies and airy melodic lines, make their debut in the Netherlands. 

Tsintsadze transforms the folk music of the Gregorian countryside into art music in his work Miniatures on Georgian Folk Themes. Star soloist Isabelle van Keulen will show her versatile musical qualities in the virtuoso Mugham Poéme and the meditative mystical Vientulais Engelis by Vasks.

The Bahamas swore in novel premier

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The Bahamas swore in novel premier

Friday, 17 September 2021, Nassau, Commonwealth of The Bahamas: Governor-General Sir Cornelius Smith sworn in as fifth Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Hon Philip Davis, hitherto Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition from the Progressive Liberal Party. 

Davis (b. 7 June 1951) has experience serving in the capacity as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works and Urban Development from 2012 to 2017, before leading the opposition. In it in his position as Minister of Public Works and Urban Development that he became dear to Bahamians by building more than thousand homes for low-income families, and by improving the infrastructure throughout the state. 

For further information:
Prime Minister’s Office of The Bahamas: https://opm.gov.bs

Malta’s President on official visit in Berlin

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Malta’s President on official visit in Berlin

23-24 September 2021, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany: Maltese President Dr. George Vella paid an official visit to Germany, wherein he was received for bilateral talks by his German counterpart, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Castle. 

Subsequently during that Thursday, President Dr. Vella and the latter’s spouse, Miriam Vella, were welcomed to Berlin by the city-state’s Governing Mayor Michael Müller at the Brandenburg Gate. Thereafter the dignitaries headed for the Red Town Hall, wherein the Presidential Couple exchanged views with the Governing Mayor on issues of topicality, and signed Berlin’s Golden Guestbook. 

For the Maltese president, the official visit to Berlin had an emphasis on culture – with a visit to the newly opened Humboldt Forum-, the strengthening of diplomatic ties as well as multilateralism on the world stage; not least because his visit took place as the UN high-level week was ongoing. 

President Dr. Vella likewise visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Wall Memorial Museum, where he laid a wreath to commemorate the victims who lost their lives whilst attempting to flee across the wall. 

On Friday, 24 September, the Presidential Couple partook at a reception held at the Adlon Hotel marking Malta’s 57th National Day, wherein the German Federal Government was represented by State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, Miguel Berger.

President Dr. Vella is introduced by Ambassador Dr. Xuereb to Slovenia’s Ambassador Franc But, President pro tempore of the EU Ambassadors Group in Germany – Picture by Henri Estramant.

During his allocution therein, President Dr. Vella highlighted the importance of multilateralism for Europe, and the world, and announced the creation of the Foundation for National Unity, whose ultimate objective is the people themselves. He stated that the foundation is going to be set up for them, the people, and that the citizens themselves are the ones that will contribute towards, and gain from, it’s growth and vision.

For further information:


Maltese Presidency: https://president.gov.mt/president-george-vella-on-an-official-visit-to-germany/?lang=en

Government of Malta: https://www.gov.mt/en/Government/DOI/Press%20Releases/Pages/2021/September/25/pr211755en.aspx

Embassy of Malta in Germany (HE Ambassador Dr Vanni Xuereb): https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Embassies/Me_Berlin/Pages/Press-Release.aspx
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Cover image by DOI, Fennech Clifton.

Virtual Training for Counsel on Legal Tools

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Virtual Training for Counsel on Legal Tools

On 15 September 2021, the International Criminal Court (ICC) held a Training for Counsel on Legal Tools with the participation of 216 lawyers from 46 States Parties to the Rome Statute and 12 non-States Parties, who are registered on the ICC List of Counsel and the List of Assistants to Counsel, and members of the legal teams currently active before the Court. This training was held online due to COVID-19 restrictions, and was organized with the financial support of the European Commission.

The training allowed participants to learn about the ICC Legal Tools Database (LTD) and its reference tools, making it possible for Counsel and their support staff to efficiently utilize these digital resources in their legal research, while providing for a better understanding of international criminal law and ICC jurisprudence.

The ICC’s Legal Tools collection is comprised of the LTD, together with several legal research and reference tools such as the Case Law Database, Case Matrix, the Elements Digest, and the Means of Proof Digest. The LTD is the leading online resource for retrieval of legal sources in international criminal law. It has several thousand users around the world and has seen more than 5 million annual hits in the past several years.

The database is freely accessible on the internet (https://www.legal-tools.org/). The LTD was created and is maintained with the financial support of the European Commission, and is administered by the Centre for International Law Research and Policy (CILRAP) which has also developed Lexsitus, an open-access digital capacity-development tool drawing on the LTD.

Viva Mexico

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Viva Mexico

The Cobra Museum presents “Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera: A Love Revolution”, a special exhibition of one of the two most important private collections of the world-famous Mexican modernists which has never been shown in the Netherlands before.

So far, this has been one of the most popular exhibitions ever for the Cobra Museum: in three weeks alone, at the very edge of the pandemic restrictions, 30,000 people have visited the exhibition of the Mexican artists who revolutionized the world, and who continue to be one of the most famous couples up to today. Kahlo – the most famous woman artist in history – was a radical, talented, bi-cultural, bisexual and a disabled woman whose legacy continues to inspire people worldwide. However, her work only received international recognition after her death, and her status as a feminist, free-spirited icon and women’s rights advocate only became evident later. The politically active muralist Diego Rivera was already a celebrity during his life, and he is still one of the most famous Mexican painters.  

The avant-gardist couple had strong political revolutionary ideas, impressive personalities, as well as an incredible talent and a monumental creative force. Despite their decision to live in an open marriage clashed with societal rules of their time, they were accepted and cherished by the Mexican, European and American high society, including the political community. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo up to today are worldwide known as genius artists, scandalous celebrities, and true Mexicans.

H.E. the Ambassador of Mexico, José Antonio Zabalgoitia and H.E. Mr. Hugo Siblesz, Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on behalf of the Embassy of Mexico to the Netherlands and the trustees of the Cobra Museum of Modern Art respectively, hosted a “Noche Mexicana” to celebrate the 211th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico and to introduce the fabulous exhibition “Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera: A Love Revolution” to their guests.

The guests included the diplomatic corps at large, international organizations in the fields of justice, migration and defence, members of the academic community, as well as Dutch government officials. The guests were so numerous – including ambassadors from Algeria to Uruguay, from Vietnam to Rwanda, from Argentina to Croatia, from Panama to Poland, from Japan to the Dominican Republic, as well as the heads of the OPCW and the IOM – that it is truly impossible to mention all of them.

Remembering the event that started the 1810 insurrection, Ambassador Zabalgoitia said: “Viva to the heroes that gave us fatherland and freedom”, followed by all the guests repeating together with him: “Viva Mexico!”.

The event was accompanied by Mexican gastronomy, with specialities served together with margaritas and tequilas. The fantastic mariachi “Tierra Caliente” with colourful dresses of “Xochiquetzal” Mexican dancers, completed the event.

Xochiquetzal – Mexican dancers.

The core of the “Love Revolution” exhibition at the Cobra Museum of Modern Art consists of twenty-three iconic works by Kahlo, including some of her most famous self-portraits. In addition to paintings by Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907-1954), a selection of drawings, photographs and a collection of her traditional Oaxaca’s dresses is also on display. Moreover, about thirty key works by Diego Rivera and Mexican contemporaries such as Lola Álvarez Bravo, María Izquierdo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo illustrate the period of artistic ingenuity in Mexico.

Historical photographs provide a glimpse of important Mexican cultural figures, especially Kahlo and Rivera, and show their unique personalities. The accent of the exhibition, however, is not into their controversial life, but rather on their fascinating oeuvres, made during a revolutionary period in Mexican history, and on the absolute admiration and support that the artists showed and gave to each other.

“With this exhibition, the Cobra Museum addresses pressing themes such as political and social engagement, free expression, emancipation and gender. Themes that are all the more important in our society in these turbulent times. We hope to inspire the public in our museum with the fascinating work of Kahlo and her contemporaries” – guest curator Stefan van Raay said.

“We are enormously proud to have brought this international top collection to Amstelveen. This would not have been possible without the support of our partners, the funds involved and private donors. I hope that the beautiful works of art can give the public hope, inspiration and strength in these difficult times” – said Lillian Bóza, director of the Cobra Museum of Modern Art.

The event was a great success for Mexico, a country who celebrates every aspect of its life. Among all national events, “El Grito” is perhaps the greatest one. At Cobra Museum in Amstelveen, we all shouted many times from the bottom of our hearts: one, two, three, “Viva Mexico!”.

The exhibition will remain open until Sunday October 3rd.

Armando Varricchio received by Mayor Tschentscher

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Armando Varricchio received by Mayor Tschentscher

Tuesday, 21 September 2021, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany: At the historic City Hall, Hamburg’s First Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher received the inaugural call by Italy’s top envoy to Germany, Armando Varricchio, who was accredited on 21 June at Bellevue Palace. 

On the agenda were the upcoming federal elections in Germany to be held on Sunday, 26 September alongside state elections in Berlin City-State, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as Thuringia. The implications of the elections for the EU are pivotal as Germany is the group’s largest economy.

There is a particular Hamburg connection to the federal elections as the Social Democratic contender, Olaf Scholz is the predecessor in mayoral office of Dr. Peter Tschentscher. The latter in addition to the fact that Hamburg is due to take over the chairmanship of the Federal Council (Bundesrat) in October 2022. 

Furthermore the two dignitaries discussed the G20 summit whose chairmanship is currently be held by Italy, and the ongoing political and health measures being undertaken to milden the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic in European societies.  Ambassador Varricchio was previously his homeland’s chief diplomat in the United States. He is known for being a film-lover, and avid networker. 

For further information 
Italian Embassy in Germany:

 https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino/it/ambasciata/ambasciatore

Exhibition of Vietnamese paintings launched in the Netherlands

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Exhibition of Vietnamese paintings launched in the Netherlands

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Pham Viet Anh with the Dutch businessman and Vietnamese art collector Geert Steinmeijer. Also in the picture ambassador spouse and Erik Lips, curator.

On September 3, 2021, the No Hero Museum in Delden (Netherlands) launched an exhibition of paintings by  talented Vietnamese artists from the collection of Dutch businessman Geert Steinmeijer.

With a strong passion for arts, Mr. Geert Steinmeijer created a private museum with his own funds with the motto of connecting artistic emotions and considered the museum as his third child. He used to do business and travel to Vietnam many times from the 1990s to 2010. He fell in love with Vietnamese artists’ paintings and Vietnamese Culture. He has collected 35 paintings by talented Vietnamese artists of the first and second generations after the August Revolution, such as Tran Dinh Tho, Vu Giang Huong, Do Xuan Doan, To Ngoc Thanh, Huynh Phuong Dong, Bui Huu Hung, Dang Xuan Hoa, Nguyen Trung. Many Vietnamese paintings have been exhibited since 2020, but this is the first time the entire collection lacquer and silk has been presented to the public.

Opening the exhibition by the Ambassador of Vietnam.

The theme of the exhibition – “Vietnam:  A Dream Paradise” – was chosen by him as he wanted to introduce an optimistic and poetic lifestyle of the Vietnamese people in a  tragic, heroic, optimistic and hopeful period. The layout of the exhibition consists of 3 sections: “Vietnamese identity”, “Vietnamese women” and “Paradise on Earth” as to depict the determination to fight for freedom, peace and life. The host showed his deep understanding of Vietnam when he said: “This exhibition consists of beautiful paintings, presents a beautiful, outwardly peaceful life of a nation that history has never treated kindly”.

Geert Steinmeijer’s love for Vietnam spread throughout his small family. His daughter took a 6-week motorbike trip across Vietnam to understand Vietnam with her own feelings.

At No Hero Museum Vietnam Art Exhibition attendees.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Pham Viet Anh was honored to cut the ribbon opening the exhibition. Representatives of the Provisional Committee of the Vietnamese Association in the Netherlands and many relatives in the community attended the exhibition were proud of the talent of Vietnamese artists and deeply moved by the love and sympathy of Dutch friends for Vietnam.

The deep affection of Geert Steinmaijer and No Hero Museum for Vietnam is much appreciated!

Bangladesh – A nation en route to development

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Bangladesh – A nation en route to development

Interview with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abul Kalam Abdul Momen by Roy Lie Atjam

Prominent Bangladeshi economist, diplomat, and Foreign Minister Dr. Abul Kalam Abdul Momen came to The Hague on September 5th, 2021 to attend the Dialogue of the Global Center on Adaption (GCA), of which he is a board member. An open conversation with Diplomat Magazine set the point on Bangladesh’s goals and challenges.

The Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has been setting out a road map for Bangladesh to move from the LDC status to that of a fully developed country by 2040. At the moment, the UN has declared that Bangladesh meets all the requirements to qualify as a middle-income country (MIC). This transition is “a great accomplishment for the young nation” said the Minister and he believes that the key factor behind it lies in the leadership of PM Hasina.

Dr. Abdul Momen expressed that “achieving the MIC status could be regarded as a miracle when one considers where the young nation stood 50 years ago”. It was a rough journey as there were only a few nations such as India and Japan that supported Bangladesh; the country had to be self-reliant to reach where it stands today.

H.E Mr. M Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abul Kalam Abdul Momen.

PM Hasina leads with the motto “Where there is a will, there is a way; my land is fertile, and my farmers are hard workers” and under her guidance, Bangladesh today is a land of opportunities. The country has achieved food self-sufficiency, which allows for more funding in development projects that would have otherwise been used for food imports. These projects include energy production and Bangladesh currently generates 24,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity. As a food independent nation, it is not surprising that agriculture is an important sector of the economy.

Funds are made available to subsidize the purchase of fertilizers at 16 Taka per kg, which is a big drop from the previous price of 68 Taka some time ago. In addition to agriculture, the garment sector is a vital pillar of the Bangladeshi economy as well as the pharmaceutical sector. Exports in the former in particular are up from 12 to 40 billion USD per annum. Remittances also support the economy, which generated 25 billion USD in the past year.

Bangladeshi workers can be found in the Middle East as well as many other regions across the globe. The nation’s GDP growth rate is at 5.2 percent with a GDP growth rate per capita of 4.0 percent as of 2020.

Diplomat Magazine’s publisher and editor with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s successes over the years are not limited to economic achievements but also encompass social achievements as well. The literacy rate has reached a high of 99 percent, with female education participation on the rise. At the moment, 53 percent of females participate in education, a significant increase from the previous 35 percent figure. This is in part because the Bangladeshi government has put in place a free scholarship scheme for girls and 336 million books are freely distributed at the beginning of each school year. In addition, the country’s poverty rate is declining to 3 percent and the government is making strides to eradicate poverty completely. Furthermore, life expectancy has risen from 61 to 79 years.

All of this is part of PM Hasina’s plan to build a Sonar Bangla or Golden Bangla. This was originally the dream of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the Founding Father of Bangladesh – who wished for a prosperous Bangladesh that is free of hunger and poverty.

Bangladesh currently satisfies all the criteria of a nation en route to development and it is expected to be an upper-middle-income nation by 2030.

However, one of the greatest challenges posed to Bangladesh’s future development is climate change. The current state of our climate is exacerbating the river erosion problem in the country and a rise in sea level by one meter will have grave consequences for Bangladesh. If this is allowed to continue, approximately 30 million individuals of the population will be displaced. The recently published International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) report cannot be ignored. As many say, it is a wake-up call that stresses how climate change can affect an array of internationally guaranteed human rights; including rights to health, housing, water, and food. After witnessing the number of displaced people in the Balkans, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Myanmar, many say “never again” must this happen to any population.

However, Dr. Abdul Momen says “it is not enough to say ‘never again’ ” He stressed that industrialized countries must keep their promise of the 100 billion USD donation and suggested that 50 percent of it should go towards mitigating the impacts of climate change. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and the country needs assistance to combat and adapt to the situation. As climate change is a global issue affecting the entire world population, countries must unite to save the planet and help one another when possible.

Dr. Abdul Momen is optimistic that something good will materialize at the GCA conference this time since the USA is back in the Paris Agreement. Its representative is Mr. John Kerry and together with the UK, these two countries are serious about moving things along. On a domestic level, the government of Bangladesh has also formulated Delta Plan 2100, which is a comprehensive development plan focusing on economic growth, environmental conservation, and enhanced climate resilience. It lays out holistic and cross-sectoral actions needed to improve productivity and minimize disaster risks.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh with Diplomat Magazine editor.

Expanding on the issue of human displacement, Dr. Abdul Momen expressed that PM Hasina saved the face of the civilized world by taking in over one million displaced Rohingya that were facing ethnic cleansing. The Rohingya were part of the government in Myanmar in 1962 but this changed in 1982. Bangladesh has extended invitations to the Myanmar regime to come and talk to the Rohingya people but this offer has only been taken up once. The Rohingya case was brought before the International Court of Justice and the Myanmar government claims they have built houses for when the Rohingya returns.

At this moment in time however, not one Rohingya has returned to Myanmar. Dr. Abdul Momen called attention to those who comment on how sickening the situation is yet still invest billions of dollars in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the Myanmar military is prioritizing investments in sophisticated weaponry from China and Russia. He warns that “if no effective measures are taken, over time pockets of extremism and terrorism will emerge and attack Myanmar’s investors and friends. It is sad to see that a generation of Rohingya has been lost.” Dr. Abdul Momen is proposing to all media to start a global public awareness campaign regarding this human tragedy.

Similar to other countries throughout the globe, Bangladesh is currently battling against COVID-19. This pandemic has put strains on its critical agricultural sector; however, the first wave was successfully managed and the second wave was limited to 7020 fatalities in a population of over 166 million. President Erdogan of Turkey inquired how that was accomplished and Dr. Abdul Momen answered that Bangladesh has “God, a young population, and [it placed an] immediate halt to flights from the epicenter of contamination, and vaccination”. Bangladesh is among the first countries in Asia that started a COVID-19 vaccination program in January 2021. PM Hasina believes that vaccines are a public good which Western countries have a surplus of yet are reluctant to share. Instead, they have been used as a “negotiating tool”.

The G7 agreed to provide Bangladesh vaccines via COVAX and the UK also agreed to give vaccines directly. However, it was revealed that not a single vaccine has been provided by them. In addition, the country approached Russia for its Sputnik vaccine but the latter considers the demand too high; the current focus is on co-production but the project is on hold. On the other hand, an agreement has been signed with China’s Sinovac for co-production with Bangladesh’s Incepta. Bangladesh now has a free flow of WHO-approved vaccines to support the vaccination drive and the fight against COVID-19 in general.

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