MoU Signing Ceremony between ICCCAD and Foreign Services Academy

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing between Foreign Service Academy (FSA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
And
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Independent University, Bangladesh

The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Foreign Service Academy (FSA) and International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) took place on 25^th  of February at Foreign Service Academy campus (Sugandha building), 22 Baily Road, Dhaka.

The ceremony began with introductory remarks on FSA and ICCCAD. The ceremony was Chaired by Admiral Khurshed Alam, Secretary (Maritime Affairs), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Ambassador Syed Masud Mahmood Khundoker, Rector, FSA and Prof. Saleemul Huq, Director, ICCCAD were the signatories of the MoU.

The purpose of this MoU is to enhance collaboration for Knowledge generation and capacity building, specifically in the area of climate change.  The activities under the MoU will include a variety of activities including joint research projects, seminars and capacity building workshops to address climate change in Bangladesh.

Professor Saleemul Huq spoke on “How Bangladesh Diplomats can become Climate Change Ambassadors.”

He mentioned that Bangladesh was playing a major role in both trying to tackle climate change impacts at home as well as sharing our knowledge with other countries and to raise our voice in global forums. At the Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presented Bangladesh’s journey from climate vulnerability to climate resilience.

At the beginning of COP25 in Madrid the current chair of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the President of Marshall Islands invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to become the next CVF chair from mid-2020. Thus, during COP26 in Glasgow, the Prime Minister will be responsible for galvanizing support for raising the ambition to meet the 1.5 degrees centigrade goal.

It is a good opportunity for Bangladesh to take up the leadership role globally through the CVF which will be handed over to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mid-2020 and she will chair the CVF for a two year term.