Abdul Muhith elected President of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board

Bangladesh‍‍`s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, was elected yesterday as the president of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS executive board for 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, the member states also elected the ambassadors of Colombia, Germany, Romania, and Ethiopia as vice-presidents of the executive board.

With this election, Bangladesh takes the leadership of the executive boards of these three important United Nations bodies.

Bangladesh, as president of the board, will be able to contribute even more to the work of the UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS, all of which have special missions to help countries achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Bangladesh will also be able to collaborate closely with the other board members and leaders of these three important UN organizations to provide strategic input.

In his inaugural remarks, Ambassador Muhith thanked UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS for their outstanding contributions to empowering people around the world and advancing their development goals.

"In the context of the difficult challenges that the development agenda of the United Nations suffer due to the pandemic and ongoing humanitarian and climate crises, UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS need to prepare themselves to deliver better, based on new and reinvigorated multilateral commitments and through coordinate efforts and engagement with all stakeholders.

"And the Executive Board will remain ready to provide those agencies with necessary direction and resources so that they can continue to be at the forefront of all such efforts."

The election of Ambassador Muhith as President of the Board demonstrates Bangladesh‍‍`s trust and confidence in the UN, as well as recognition of Bangladesh‍‍`s unique success in achieving sustainable development through innovative means under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s leadership, according to Ambassador Muhith.

Ambassador Muhith has served as chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, president of the executive board of UN-Women, and vice-president of the executive board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS since starting this mission as the permanent representative in July 2022.