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16 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 DT Event Model UN summit held in Dhaka • Aaqib Md Shatil “We need to work together; after all, it is United Nations, not divided nations” - Anika Anwar, an eleventh grader from Adamjee Cantonment College, who was representing Angola in the Historical Crisis Committee, a specialised committee of the just concluded Dhaka University National Model UN 2016 conference, was found encouraging her fellow delegates to come together to find a way out to the crisis they were given to work with. Like every other year since 2012, Dhaka University Model UN Association (DUNMUN) organised the prestigious MUN of the country, Dhaka University National Model UN conference. It was the fifth session of the first ever university-based Model UN conference in Bangladesh. With the theme, “Embarking SDG implementation for peaceful coexistence,” the conference was aimed at extracting out the best possible ways to embark the implementation of the 17 sustainable development goals with a view to achieving peaceful coexistence. A simulation of the UN General Assembly, the summit is driven by the urge to provide solutions for the problem the delegates are given. Each of the committee discusses the agenda, make arguments on behalf of their country and come up with a resolution that includes the solution to the problem. Thus, unlike most of the seminars or conferences, Model UN not only discusses the problems, but also strives to find a solution to these problems. This year, DUNMUN Secretariat received thousands of delegate applications from 151 institutions across the globe, and among them, only 500 were selected as delegates. DUNMUN 2016 had 10 committees that were tasked to discuss a total of 43 agendas in four days. Around 500 delegates, from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Somalia, and Sierra Leone came together at the University of Dhaka to express their views on SDG implementation for peaceful coexistence, on behalf of their assigned countries from December 19 to December 22. While arguing, the delegates, mostly students from different universities of the world, came forward with exclusive information, perspectives and expressed their views on the respective agenda. While discussing in the UNICEF PHOTO: COURTESY A simulation of the UN General Assembly, the summit is driven by the urge to provide solutions for the problem the delegates are given committee, the delegate of Germany, Mrittunjoy Das, opined, “It is a grave misconception that all child labour is forced.” “Rather,” he added, “the definition of child is subjective from one country to another.” On the other hand, the delegate of Russia contradicted this statement and urged all the PHOTO: COURTESY nations to ensure education for all to stop child labour. Tanjim Ul Islam, who was a delegate in NATO, recalled his experience of DUNMUN 2016 saying: “I got to learn many important things throughout the sessions. It was an excellent opportunity to brush up on my diplomacy and teamwork skills.” However, DUNMUN was not all about debates and arguments, rather, this year it had three cultural nights. Popular musical band Arbovirus rocked the night of December 21 in the DUNMUN Concert along with Ganpoka. The closing ceremony of the conference was held on December 22 after the closing plenary session, which was presided over by Plenary President Wahiduzzaman Siddique. Closing and Award Giving Ceremony was attended by State Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Md Shahriar Alam, MP. The minister appreciated the initiative saying that he is very happy to see so many future diplomats under one roof during his speech as the chief guest. He thanked the President of UNYSAB Mohammad Mamun Mia and Secretary General of DUNMUN 2016, Mr Ashabul Mahmud for giving him the opportunity to address such an enthusiastic crowd. Among dozens of MUN conferences, on the question what made DUNMUN different from others, Tanjim Ferdous, the Chairperson of UNICEF said: “DUNMUN is the most consistent, well planed and wellorganised Model UN conference in Bangladesh.”•
Project 17 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 DT A future investment Save the Children’s campaign to ensure sufficient, equitable and efficient investment in children • Afroza Sharmin To ensure all rights of children in the country, the Government has to take measures to the maximum extent of its available resources – as specified in Article 4 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In doing so, the Government must ensure sufficient, equitable and efficient public investment in children. As UNCRC suggests, the state should produce a budget for children, and make children visible in Government’s allocation and spending of resources. The Government must also involve children in the budget decision making process. The ‘UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’ adopted General Comment No. 19 on public budgeting for the realisation of children’s rights in June 2016, which is the first UN document that provides detailed guidance to states on the issue of investing in children. Save the Children in Bangladesh has initiated high level discussion around the General Comment and the issue of investment in children by organising a seminar titled ‘UNCRC General Comment on public budgeting for the realisation of children’s rights and Bangladesh’s Progress’ on December 26 at CIRDAP International Conference Center, Dhaka. The State Minister of Finance, M A Mannan, addressed the seminar as chief guest while Rasheda K Chowdhury, former Advisor to the Caretaker Government and Executive Director, CAMPE, was the special guest. Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, and Tahmina Begum NDC, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, also spoke as special guests at the event. Dr Ishtiaq Mannan, Deputy Country Director of Save the Children in Bangladesh chaired the seminar. Ashiq Iqbal, Public Finance Advisor of Save the Children in Bangladesh made the keynote presentation. The General Comment 19 relates to all rights recognised in the UNCRC including those of health and nutrition, education, protection and social protection. While the General Comment speaks about state responsibilities to invest in children in relation to the UNCRC, it will also help the Government deliver on commitments made to children in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noted the discussants of the seminar. Therefore, it is important that the guidelines are incorporated in the budget-making process of the government. But at the same time, it is also important that the civil society engages in its implementation, as emphasised by the General Comment itself. In Bangladesh, the Government, for the second time, has prepared the ‘Child Budget’ in FY 2015-16. The discussants recognised the Child Budget as a milestone towards public investment upholding the principle of best interest of the child, making children visible in the national budget. However, it was also stressed that detail allocations included in the Child Budget are yet to be made public which is critical to ensure transparency and civil society engagement in implementation tracking. Save the Children noted that about 15% of the national budget for the current fiscal year is allocated for children either directly or indirectly, and significantly higher social sector allocation per capita has been made compared to last year, which is a positive move from a child rights perspective. Speakers emphasised that child participation must be ensured in the budget decision making process. Save the Children made specific call to the government to hold pre-budget consultation with children and organisations working for them which is already happening with other professional groups every year. To note, the General Comment explicitly calls on the governments to ensure The ‘UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’ adopted General Comment No. 19 on public budgeting for the realisation of children’s rights in June 2016, which is the first UN document that provides detailed guidance to states on the issue of investing in children child participation in the budget making process, particularly the vulnerable children who find it difficult to make their voices heard. The General Comment particularly emphasises on the principle of non-discrimination and calls upon the Government to identify excluded groups, assess how resource allocation Photo: Courtesy differentially impacts them and take budgetary measures to address them. Save the Children suggested that disaggregated budget information by geographic locations is as critical as age and gender specific ones to this end. It was suggested that the Government should not only bring back the ‘District Budget’ reporting, but should aim at disaggregation of the budget further down the line at the Upazila level, and if possible at the Union level. Through the ‘Every Last Child’ global campaign, Save the Children calls on the to Government and decision makers for fair finance and accountability to children in Bangladesh. With such an aim, Save the Children is engaging with the Government, national and international organisations and the civil society to discuss the General Comment on public budgeting for the realisation of child rights which will be instrumental in the country’s journey ahead with the sustainable development agenda.•
Page 1 and 2: SECOND EDITION WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER
Page 3 and 4: News 3 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016
Page 9 and 10: World Trump: UN just a club for peo
Page 11: World Turkey opens first trial of J
Page 15: Business 15 DT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER
Page 19 and 20: Biz Info 19 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 21 and 22: A radical change Opinion 21 Radical
Page 23 and 24: Opinion 23 We need to do something
Page 25 and 26: Feni Soccer staring at relegation
Page 27 and 28: Sport 27 DT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 29 and 30: Downtime 29 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 31 and 32: Showtime Dhaka International Film F

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