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Published : 22 Apr 2025, 05:32 PM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has emphasised that the world was transforming faster than previously imagined, driven by a range of complex factors.
The head of Bangladesh's interim government made the observation during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Earthna Summit in Qatar's Doha on Tuesday.
"We live in a time of profound uncertainty, where multilateralism is under serious threat, climate change is accelerating, geopolitical tensions are rising, and humanitarian crises are deepening," he is quoted as saying by state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
"Emerging norms, technologies, and governance models are rapidly reshaping our world, rendering many past assumptions obsolete."
He stressed the need for "renewed regional and global cooperation" to keep step with the changing world.
Addressing the international audience, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate said: "Let us be bold. Let us build a world where no one is too poor to dream and no dream is too big to achieve.”
He added, “The future is not something we inherit. It is something we create. And each one of us has a role to play.”
The chief advisor noted that the challenges can be significant when taking on such tasks, “but so too is our capacity for innovation, compassion, and collective action."
Yunus pointed out that Qatar’s initiative to host the Earthna Summit demonstrates how a country can address climate crises, social inequality, and the future of employment through innovation, tradition, and partnership.
In his keynote speech, Yunus stressed the importance of creating sustainable development and economic opportunities for marginalised communities through social business, financial inclusion, and microfinance.
He said, “My country, Bangladesh, now stands at a turning point to forge a new social contract in which the state and its people, especially its youth, co-create a future rooted in inclusion, tradition, justice, dignity, and opportunity.”
Highlighting Bangladesh’s desire to stand as a beacon of hope for the world, Yunus called upon friends and partners around the world to help rewrite the social contract to be more inclusive.
He urged them to explore the roles of social business, financial inclusion, and microfinance in creating sustainable development and economic opportunities for the marginalised.
The chief advisor thanked Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, its vice chairperson and CEO, for organising the Earthna Summit for the second time.
This year’s summit is being held under the theme “Building Our Legacy: Sustainability, Innovation, and Traditional Knowledge”.
The event will highlight Qatar’s commitment to promoting sustainable development by leveraging its traditional culture and unique ecological diversity in the face of its hot and arid climate.
