Bangladesh must seek a legally binding treaty to ensure compensation for countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change at the upcoming Paris Climate Summit, said development activists at a discussion here today.
They said the Conference of Parties (COP21), under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will be held at Paris from November 30 to December 11 this year.
Addressing a human chain-cum-street corner meeting at Alupatty crossing in the metropolis, they made 10 demands regarding distribution of climate change fund and urged the Bangladesh delegation set to attend the conference to take the demands into accounts when negotiating with developed countries.
Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), an inspired organization of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), organized the programme putting forward the demand.
With CCC President Professor Abdus Salam in the chair, executive chief of Paribartan Rashed Ibne Obayed, chief executive of CCBVO Sarwar-E-Kamal, BLAST Coordinator Advocate Abdus Samad and TIB Area Manager Mahmud Ali spoke on the occasion.
The discussants demanded bringing high carbon emitting countries under legal bindings to disburse their committed fund to less carbon generating but climate change affected countries.
They also urged the developed countries to provide the due grants to the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) as per their commitments. This fund logically established the demand of Bangladesh to get compensation from developed countries.
Congratulating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to achieve the Champions of the Earth Award, Professor Abdus Salam said this recognition has increased responsibility of Bangladesh to create pressure on the developed countries for disbursing climate fund on behalf of the millions of climate change affected people across the globe.
“I would like to request our Honourable prime minister to give direction to the Bangladesh delegation to raise their voice on these issues during the conference,” he said.
He called upon the United Nations and its member states to ensure transparency in climate finance governance at national and international levels, reports BSS, RAJSHAHI.
