Published : 15 Jun 2023, 02:47 AM
Updated : 15 Jun 2023, 02:47 AM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the global community to invest in social justice in an effort to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies worldwide.
"We can achieve lasting peace and sustainable development on the foundation of social justice. We must invest in social justice in our efforts to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies worldwide," she said, addressing the plenary of the World of Work Summit in Geneva on Wednesday.
The launch of the Global Coalition has created an opportunity to place social justice at the heart of all international development agenda, including SDGs, Hasina said, according to state-run news agency BSS.
In this context, the prime minister made five suggestions from Bangladesh's viewpoint.
In her first point, she said the Coalition should develop as a consultative or advocacy platform rather than as a norm-setting or negotiating forum.
Secondly, the Coalition must guard against weaponising "social justice" by one international quarter against the other in the current geopolitical context, she said.
Thirdly, the Coalition should make sure that instead of being used as a protectionist tool, social justice should be widely promoted under a rules-based multilateral trading system, the prime minister said.
Fourthly, she said, the Coalition needs to ensure broad-based support from ILO's own constituents with a view to enlisting the international financial institutions for the purpose of promoting decent work and productive employment.
Finally, the Coalition should focus on making the youth champions of social justice, said Hasina.
"We need to develop a new social contract for our world to address the multidimensional challenges of the present century," Hasina said.
"The main objective of this social contract would be to ensure social justice for all for the purpose of sustainable development."
