Bangladesh Reaches New Heights in Global Diplomacy

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman is set to take over as President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will open the session at 3pm local time on September 8 at the UN headquarters in New York.

Bangladesh’s assumption of the presidency for one year is being seen as a historic achievement for the country’s diplomacy and a major opportunity to further enhance its image on the international stage.

After nearly four decades, Bangladesh has once again secured the presidency of the UN General Assembly. Previously, former Foreign Minister Mr. Humayun Rashid Choudhury became the first Bangladeshi to hold the position during the 41st session in 1986-87.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman was elected with 99 votes in a secret ballot held on June 2. His only rival, Cyprus’s candidate Andreas S. Kakouris, received 91 votes. Under the UN’s regional rotation system, the presidency for this session was allocated to the Asia-Pacific region.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Shama Obaed Islam described the election as an “extremely proud moment” for Bangladesh and an important diplomatic success. She said the election result reflects Bangladesh’s growing standing in the international arena. According to her, the return of stable and democratic governance in Bangladesh has helped build confidence among the international community.

She also said Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s professional diplomatic skills, his acceptability among UN member states and the collective efforts of Bangladesh’s missions in 81 countries played an important role in the election. Ms. Shama said that by serving as President of the General Assembly, Bangladesh will have an opportunity over the next year to present its priorities and concerns more strongly on various international issues.

In particular, she said the country will have an opportunity to give greater international attention to the Rohingya crisis and pursue stronger diplomatic efforts for their safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified repatriation.

However, as President of the UN General Assembly, Dr. Khalilur Rahman will have to remain neutral towards all 193 member states rather than representing the interests of any single country. According to former ambassador M. Humayun Kabir, how effectively Bangladesh can use this opportunity will largely depend on the country’s diplomatic skills.

Key Priorities

Dr. Khalilur Rahman’s priorities include restoring confidence in the multilateral system, ensuring peace and security, promoting sustainable development, protecting human rights, advancing the rights of women and girls, and safeguarding the interests of vulnerable countries.

During his tenure, the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General will also take place. Overall, the leadership of the UN General Assembly under a Bangladeshi is being viewed as a rare diplomatic achievement for the country and a significant opportunity to strengthen Bangladesh’s role on the global stage.