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UNRC welcomes establishment of BPSWC

  • Diplomatic Correspondent
  • 10 August, 2023 12:00 AM
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The United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Bangladesh has warmly welcomed the establishment of the Bangladesh Private Sector Working Committee (BPSWC) and its subcommittees.

Aimed to catalyze the implementation of the country's sustainable development goals (SDGs), the newly established BPSWC thematic groups will be working closely with the Government of Bangladesh, the UN, and national and international development organisations.

The formal nominations of the groups’ memberships were adopted at the first working meeting of the committee, on Wednesday, according to a press release.

Some fifty heads of Bangladeshi private companies and development organisations, as well as representatives of different UN agencies attended the event.

The event was opened by the President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) and the Chairman of BPSWC, Md. Jashim Uddin, the President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), Ardashir Kabir, who welcomed the establishment of the thematic groups and highlighted the importance of the private sector in inclusive sustainable development.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis also delivered remarks at the meeting, welcoming the initiative and encouraging dynamic and coordinated private sector engagement on achieving the SDGs in Bangladesh.

 "I warmly welcome this first full meeting of the Bangladesh Private Sector Working Committee, and its five new Thematic SDG Working Groups, designed to increase private sector engagement and to accelerate efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said the UNRC in Bangladesh, in her opening remarks to the participants of the meeting.

The UN Resident Coordinator emphasised the important role of the private sector in bringing inclusive sustainable development changes to the country and said, "Innovation, collaboration, and financial support from the private sector are essential to supporting the government in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Bangladesh by 2030".

The establishment of the groups is one of the first initiatives of the committee, which was launched in May 2023 by FBCCI, BEF, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Bangladesh.