Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni has briefed United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman about the preparations and actions of the government to ensure free and fair elections.
During a meeting in Geneva on Thursday, she also discussed with the UN senior official the ways to further broaden the role and engagement of UN to fight terrorism, said a Foreign Ministry press release on Friday. Feltman appreciated the efforts made by the government and stated that many actions of the government could be considered as exemplary for that of other countries. He assured continued support and engagement of UN in all endeavors of the government.
The Foreign Minister also spoke at the International Counter-Terrorism Focal Points Conference in Geneva organised by Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Office (CTITF) of UN in partnership with the government of Switzerland.
She said that the multi-pronged initiatives of Bangladesh at countering extremism and radicalization have been recognised as an international good practice.
She called CTITF to explore the possibility of developing a regional mapping of possible terrorist threats in the South Asian region in consultation with the States concerned.
She asked UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED) to remain engaged with the SAARC Secretariat towards undertaking some preparatory work for developing a regional action plan or strategy in line with Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Dipu Moni further stated that CTITF could help develop a voluntary Code of Conduct for civil society engagement in counter-terrorism efforts and a repository of good practices from around the world concerning effective measures to counter extremism and radicalization.
She mentioned that the human rights dimension should be better integrated in the counter-terrorism discourse and human rights protection need not be perceived as an obstacle to effective counter-terrorism efforts but can rather be framed as an essential element of any sustainable counter-terrorism strategy.
In another discussion session on the linkage between development and security to fight terrorism, the minister illustrated the achievements made under the present government and argued that terrorism could be best combated by developing social and economic plight of people and mentioned the steps taken by the government in this regard.
Dipu Moni also held a bilateral meeting with Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter. They discussed about the recent political developments in Bangladesh as well as in the region and the ways to further strengthen the existing bilateral relations.
-With The Independent input
