Switzerland as a reliable partner wants to continue working with Bangladesh towards the next stage of socio-economic development. Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard on August 10 said her country wants to engage in the UN Security Council and is looking forward to continue working with Bangladesh to pursue their collective actions in favour of peace, sustainable development and human rights in multilateral fora.
Mentioning that Switzerland is a serious global player and a reliable partner of Bangladesh, Ambassador Chuard said this will not be an easy task. She said, “Let me be clear here. This will not be an easy task: taken into account the numerous global challenges which we are facing, cooperation is essential.”
The Ambassador said this while speaking at the DCAB Talk at Jatiya Press Club, hosted by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB).
The Swiss envoy said they will continue committed partnership with Bangladesh towards the next stage of its socio-economic development. To this end, she said, good governance, respect and promotion of human rights, empowerment and inclusion of women and minority groups, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation, will remain at the heart of our action and development cooperation.
Ambassador Chuard further said what her country is engaged in and contributes here in Bangladesh is actually a reflection of what Switzerland stands for and promotes globally. “This is part of our broader quest to make a better, more secure, prosperous and sustainable future for all,” she noted. The Ambassador said they will also work with drivers of change such as women and youth and focus on strengthening civil society voices and participation to provide checks and balances, which are key for sustainability and inclusivity.
“We are keen to reinforce our engagement with Bangladesh on SDGs since they remain our compass for the years to come. In that regard, one SDG that is particularly dear to our hearts is the SDG 16 – peace, justice and strong institutions – since it is so closely interlinked with other SDGs,” she said.
Indeed, the envoy said achieving goals such as ending poverty, ensuring education, promoting economic growth seem difficult or even impossible without peace, justice and inclusion. “Multilateralism matters, now more than ever, especially for countries like ours,” she added.
It can be noted here that the UN General Assembly in June this year overwhelmingly elected Switzerland as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2023-2024.
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