Manage population effectively for sustainable dev: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said effective population management is a key determinant for sustainable development. 

“For the vast populations around the globe, it is necessary to transform their demographic dividend by ensuring essential education, healthcare, and other fundamental rights,” she said. 

The prime minister said this while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics.

Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan along with UNFPA are hosting the programme at Hotel Intercontinental here.

Hasina said that transforming demographic dividend will help create a prosperous global system. 

“To achieve this goal, development partners and international financial institutions need to be more sincere and internally committed to ensuring the quantity and accessibility of international arrangements for general healthcare, particularly in the field of maternal and child healthcare services,” she said.

The prime minister hoped that the global dialogue held in Dhaka will provide the necessary recommendations for the Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024 in United Nations. 

“The international community at the Summit of the Future will reaffirm their strong political commitment to addressing population and development issues.

Foreign Minister  Hasan Mahmud, UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem, Minister of Social and Family Development Of the Maldives Aishath Shiham, Kiribati’s Minister for Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs Martin Moretti, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Yasushi And State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Rokeya Sultana also among others spoke at the programme.

Representative from the government of Bulgaria also joined the opening ceremony.