The Bangladesh candidate has been elected a member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) for the second successive term.
The foreign ministry on Friday said the victory “brightened” Bangladesh’s image abroad and testifies to the country’s achievements in MDGs related to women’s issues.
Ambassador Ismat Jahan in Brussels will serve on the committee for the next four years – 2015 to 2018. She was a CEDAW member between 2011 and 2014.
She bagged 143 votes, the fifth highest, in Thursday’s (local time) election held at the UN headquarters.
AKA Momen, Bangladesh’s permanent envoy to the UN, said the election would uphold the country’s image in the international arena.
The victory, he said, proved that Bangladesh was a pioneer in female education, empowerment, and their workplace expansion — one of the key millennium development goals.
The CEDAW is one of the most important human rights body in the UN.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, he claimed a vested section had been running a smear campaign against Bangladesh on the international stage after the Jan 5 polls.
But the victory is the proof of Bangladesh mission’s vocal presence in the UN forum, Momen said.
It also indicated international support to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, said the envoy.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali had campaigned for Bangladesh at various international events ahead of the CEDAW elections. During Ismat Jahan’s recent New York visit, the Bangladesh mission had invited envoys of various countries and requested them to vote for her.
Jahan had served as a permanent representative to the UN earlier.
She had got the highest 153 votes in the previous election and served the committee as a member between 2011 and 2014.
Altogether 18 candidates contested in Thursday’s election for 12 seats. Cuba got the highest 165 votes followed by Turkey, Austria and Mauritius.
Source: Bd news24
