CVF Presidency Special Envoy Appointed

15 June 2020

• Abul Kalam Azad appointed Special Envoy of the Climate Vulnerable Forum Presidency of Bangladesh

The Government of Bangladesh released the text of the following statement as Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum:

DHAKA, Bangladesh – 12 June 2020: The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, HE Sheikh Hasina, together with HE Ban Ki-Moon, Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation, today appointed former Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh, Mr. Abul Kalam Azad, as Special Envoy of the Climate Vulnerable Forum Presidency.

Abul Kalam Azad, who also served as former Chief Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the Government of Bangladesh, has been appointed as Special Envoy of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Presidency jointly by the current Chair of the CVF, Bangladesh, and Global Center on Adaptation, which acts as Managing Partner of Support to the CVF and hosts the CVF secretariat.

Azad will serve as the key representative of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Chair of the CVF, to support the realization of the objectives and priorities of the CVF Presidency. He will work closely with the Presidency to actively promote the interests of the climate vulnerable countries and to take the initiatives of the Chair to global partners and other stakeholders.

Bangladesh assumed the Presidency of Climate Vulnerable forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Finance Ministers, which had been announced through an online event chaired by the Foreign Minister on 9 June. Bangladesh took over the Presidency from Marshal Islands at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bangladesh indicated it would use its presidency of CVF to act as a champion for the urgent strengthening of climate action by all especially to keep the increase of global temperature within 1.5 degree centigrade and to implement the commitments made at Paris.

The appointment of Abul Kalam Azad as Special Envoy of the CVF Presidency reflects his extensive experience as the Principal Coordinator of Sustainable Development Goals at the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh, and as the Distinguished Fellow of Global Center on Adaptation, which also serves as co-Managing Partner of the Global Commission on Adaptation. The appointment of one of the most accomplished sustainable development officials of the Bangladesh public service to a dedicated role of representation for the Prime Minister of Bangladesh highlights the significant prioritization Bangladesh, as incoming chair, is attaching to the CVF and V20 agenda being given serious dangers from climate change for the people and development of Bangladesh, and fellow climate vulnerable nations.

PRESS RELEASE (English, pdf, 0.2mb)