PM off to Geneva to attend World of Work Summit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left for Geneva, Switzerland to attend the "World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All" to be held in the Swiss city on June 14-15.

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourages took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:14am on Tuesday.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Deputy Leader of the House Begum Matia Chowdhury, the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary, chiefs of the three services, inspector general of police and head of the diplomatic corps were present at the airport to see the premier off.

The flight is expected to land at Geneva International airport at 5:30pm local time (09:30pm BST).

On June 14, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR chief Flippo Grandi will call on the Prime Minister at her place of residence.

Later, the premier will call on President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset at Palais de Nations. After the call on, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Knowledge and Skills enhancement between Bangladesh and Switzerland is likely to be signed there.

In the afternoon, the prime minister is scheduled to address the Plenary of the "World of Work Summit 2023" at Palais de Nations.

On her arrival, she will be greeted by ADG and the Regional Director of ILO where there will be a red carpet and a Guard of Honour from the gate to the meeting venue, and to the plenary venue.

Sheikh Hasina will also have a call on with the President of Malta Dr George Vella. Later, she would have a meeting with ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo.

In the evening, the prime minister is likely to attend a dinner with high-level dignitaries hosted by the DG ILO at its headquarters.

On June 15, she is scheduled to attend "A talk at the WEF", followed by a meeting with the founder of WEF Prof Klaus Schwab at the WEF Office.

There she will address the event on "New Economy and Society in Smart Bangladesh" organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In the evening, WTO Director General Dr Okonjo-Iweala will call on her at her place of residence. She will also attend a community event in the evening.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Geneva International Airport, Geneva for Dhaka at 11am (local time) on June 16.

She is likely to arrive in Dhaka early on June 17.

"The World of Work Summit 2023: Social Justice for All" is a high-level forum for global voices to address the need for increased, coordinated and coherent action in support of social justice.

It will provide an opportunity to discuss and inform the proposal to forge a Global Coalition for Social Justice, which was welcomed by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office at its 347th Session.

A number of high-level guests, including former President of France, Francois Hollande, former President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, as well as representatives of employers and workers, would address the conference.

The two-day summit will highlight the key role of social justice in creating a more sustainable and equitable world and will discuss strategies for increased and better-aligned joint action to advance social justice and ensure policy coherence.

It will provide a forum for participants to share their vision of and priorities for, social justice and to showcase the actions they are taking and commit to take to advance social justice.

It is expected that the outcomes of the summit will inform discussions in other multilateral forums of the centrality of and strategies to achieve greater social justice, such as, in 2023, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the G20 and the summits of the BRICS countries.

The summit will feature addresses by Heads of State and Government, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the ILO Director-General and high-level representatives of employers' and workers' organisations.

Four panel discussions with high-level representatives of governments and employers' and workers' organisations, UN entities and other international organisations to identify and amplify actions towards social justice across the multilateral system and commit to a joint, coherent and coordinated engagement.

/KN/