Monthly Archives: June 2015

First International Day of Yoga celebrated in Bangladesh

06. Yoga DemonstrationDhaka, 21 June 2015: In association of UN System in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Yoga Association, the first ever Int’l Day of Yoga was organized by Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre on 21 June 2015 at National Museum Main Auditorium in Dhaka . Dr Gowher Rizvi, the Int’l Affairs Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister graced the occasion as chief guest while UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mr Robert Watkins and Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Mr Pankaj Saran spoke as special guests. A live yoga demonstration was organized with the participation of yoga students. A video on Yoga was also screened before the audience and a photo exhibition was arranged at the national museum premises. More than six hundred audiences took part in the event. On 11 December 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to mark the Int’l Day of Yoga on 21 June every year. Video in you tube

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message on International Day of Yoga, 21 June 2015

yogo.layout1During a visit to India this year, I had the opportunity to practice yoga with one of my senior advisors. Although he happened to be a son of the country, I might equally have done the same with many other colleagues from different parts of the world. Yoga is an ancient discipline from a traditional setting that has grown in popularity to be enjoyed by practitioners in every region. By proclaiming 21 June as the International Day of Yoga, the General Assembly has recognized the holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations. Continue reading →

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message on World Refugee Day

533005On this World Refugee Day, let us remember the plight of the millions of people worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict and persecution. At the end of 2014, 59.5 million persons – the highest number on record – were forcibly displaced around the globe. This means that one in every 122 human beings today is either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. Continue reading →

Seminar on UN 70th Anniversary and SDGs at CUET

UN 70th Anniversary logo_English_CMYKChittagong, 15 June 2015: To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations and to sensatize the UN summits scheduled in 2015, UNIC Dhaka with the partnership of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) and Nippon Academy organized a seminar on 15 June at CUET auditorium. The Vice-Chancellor of CUET Prof Dr Jahangir Alam spoke on the ocassion as chief guest while the key-note paper was pressented by UNIC Officer-in-Charge M. Moniruzzaman. Among others, the Honorary Consul-General of Japan Embassy Mr. M. Nurul Islam, Pro Vice Chancellor and Registrar of CUET spoke in the seminar. Around one hundred students of CUET attended the seminar and few of them took part in Q/A session. 2015-Time-for-Global-Action_English-e1429068948937The event was mainly focused on September Summit in New York for shaping SDGs, July Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Addis Ababa and COP21 in Paris during Nov-Dec 2015. The objectives and impact of those summit were also discussed in the seminar. Issues like sustainable development, climate change in Bangladesh and how Bangladeshi young people can contribute in those matters, also came-up in the discussion. Another seminar on UN 70 and SDGs was organized at Nippon academy on 14 June 2015.

Protect Environment and Reduce Carbon Emission, Commitments made in World Environment Day Round-table

01Dhaka, 8 June 2015: In commemoration of World Environment Day, UNIC Dhaka with the partnership of UN Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh organized a round-table seminar on 8 June 2015 at UNIC Meeting Room. Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Joint Secretary, MoLWA of Bangladesh Government graced the seminar as chief guest. The MDGs and post-2015 development agenda were main focus in the discussion. Key-note papers were presented by Aminul Islam, Senior Advisor for Sustainable Development of UNDP and Zaki Uz Zaman, Head of UNIDO in Bangladesh. Mamun Mia, President of UNYSAB and journalist Mohiuddin Kawsar took part in the discussion. The participants made a number of commitments to protect environment and to reduce carbon emission. UNIC Officer-in-Charge M. Moniruzzaman moderated the round table under the banner of UN 70th Anniversary and 2015: time for Global Action. The participants include government officials, media, UN agency officials, and university students who took part in Q/A session. An UN Video was screened and Bangla translated message of UN Secretary-General’s was distributed among the participants.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message on World Environment Day, 5 June 2015

shutterstock_111992270_2The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care”.

Humanity continues to consume far more natural resources than the planet can sustainably provide.  Many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points.  It is time for us to change.

The goal of sustainable development is to increase the quality of life for all people without increasing environmental degradation, and without compromising the resource needs of future generations. We can do this by shifting our consumption patterns towards goods that use less energy, water and other resources, and by wasting less food.

In this year of transformation, when we hope to see great advances on sustainable development and climate change, let us celebrate World Environment Day by becoming more conscious of our ecological impact. Let us think about the environmental consequences of the choices we make. Let us become better stewards of our planet. WED Video: https://youtu.be/mYMqn4ESDDc?t=15