Take action-orinted initiatives, harness technology, Yunus tells D-8 members

Highlighting how the "world of work" is evolving fast, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged D-8 member states to undertake action-oriented initiatives including harnessing technology and re-invent learning.

He also encouraged the youth to emerge as agile entrepreneurs by reshaping and further developing their skills and learning.

Yunus, now on his way back home from Cairo, emphasized the importance of investing in youth and supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), resonating with the theme of the summit, and proposed initiatives for promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development among the youth in the D-8 countries.

On the sidelines of the D-8 summit, the chief adviser had bilateral meetings with the presidents of Egypt and Iran and the prime minister of Pakistan.

The minister of higher education of Malaysia also called on the chief adviser.

During the meetings, the Yunus expressed satisfaction over the current status of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and these countries and hoped to work more closely in the coming days.

He called for establishing impact-driven connections between universities of the D-8 member states during his remarks at the D-8 summit held in Cairo.

During the summit, the chief adviser handed over the chairmanship of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt after a successful tenure of little over three years marked by milestone achievements, including the ratification of the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement and the decision of Establishment of D-8 Youth Council in Dhaka.

In his opening remarks, while handing the chairmanship, Yunus extended warm congratulations to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for assuming the D-8 chairmanship.

He highlighted Bangladesh's efforts to advance D-8 cooperation amidst global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and multifaceted crises affecting the world.

Yunus affirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to support Egypt in advancing the cooperative agenda of the D-8.

The summit concluded with the adoption of the Cairo Declaration reflecting the collective aspiration and shared commitment of the D-8 member states to address the pressing issues.

The summit was also attended by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Malaysia's Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.

The chief adviser also delivered his remarks at the Special Session on the Situation in Gaza and Lebanon organized by the government of Egypt and the D-8 Secretariat after the official session of the summit.

He urged world leaders to move beyond humanitarian interventions and start focusing on the reconstruction of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

Yunus reiterated Bangladesh’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and called for an immediate end to hostilities.

He urged decisive international actions to address the crisis, emphasizing the need for accountability for war crimes and the realization of a two-state solution with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of an independent and viable Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders.

Yunus proposed initiating a D-8-led process to estimate reconstruction costs for Gaza and Lebanon and formulate international strategies for resource mobilization.

After the Special Session, the D-8 leaders adopted a Joint Communiqué on the Situation in Palestine and Lebanon.

In addition to the D-8 leaders, the special session was attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Azerbaijan’s Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha and League of Arab States Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Source: UNB