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Published : 22 Apr 2025, 08:52 PM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has called on global leaders to not turn a blind eye to the ongoing humanitarian crises in Palestine and the Rohingya camps.
He made the appeal on Tuesday while speaking at the opening session of the Earthna Summit in Doha, the capital of Qatar, according to the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, or BSS.
"The world must not ignore the humanitarian crises that affect people from Palestine to the Rohingyas in Bangladesh," said the interim prime minister.
He warned that impunity and blatant disregard for human rights threaten development in every corner of the globe.
"The ongoing suffering in Palestine concerns not just a region, but all of humanity. Palestinians are not expendable," he said.
Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, said Myanmar’s prolonged crisis poses a serious threat to regional stability.
According to him, "Bangladesh has hosted over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees for years, bearing significant social, economic, and environmental costs.”
Referring to a recent visit by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the refugee camps as an act of solidarity, the chief advisor said: “While global efforts continue, world leaders must come together to ensure the safe, sustainable and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya people to their homes in Myanmar.”
He said although the world dreams for a resilient, prosperous, and sustainable future for all, several threats remain that could derail development.
"We live in a time of profound uncertainty, where multilateralism is under serious threat, climate change is accelerating, geopolitical tensions are rising, and humanitarian crises are deepening.
He added, "Emerging norms, technologies, and governance models are rapidly reshaping our world, rendering many past assumptions obsolete.
“The urgency for renewed regional and global cooperation has never been greater.”
The Nobel laureate said in today's crisis-prone world, wars and conflicts erode rights and disrupt economies.
Peace and stability are fundamental prerequisites for any meaningful and sustainable development, he added.
He noted that climate challenges are intensifying and warned that funding for the global effort in this regard may dwindle in future.
Describing climate change as “a threat to everyone’s existence”, Yunus said: "We are still continuing to uphold self-destructive values.
“We have chosen a lifestyle that works against nature; one that thrives on limitless consumption."
He said profit maximisation is treated like the force of gravity, propelling every element of the system toward unsustainable outcomes.
Yunus added, “The safety of the environment demands a new way of living which is based on the principles of zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration through the creation of social businesses, and zero unemployment by becoming entrepreneurs.”
"This is how we will create a new civilisation that fosters sustainable development for everyone, everywhere," he concluded.
