By Rafiqul Islam
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 28 2025 – As Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus emerged from a meeting during the World Economic Forum (WEF), Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta came forward to greet him, a demonstration of how warmly the global leaders and dignitaries received the person tasked with leading the interim government.

During his four-day tour, Yunus participated in at least 47 formal events at the WEF, including with four heads of government or state, four minister-level dignitaries, ten heads or top executives of UN or similar organisations, 10 CEOs/high-level business persons, nine WEF-organized programmes, eight media engagements and two other events.

During the meetings, the Bangladesh interim government chief discussed a range of issues: the Bangladesh economy, the recovery of stolen money, Bangladesh reform agendas, the Rohingya crisis, social business and investment.

During a discussion with Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, he described the process of rebuilding the country, including restoring law and order and the economy and this involved understanding where the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had left the country.

“After so many killings, the law and order situation became very critical …The next thing you do is build up the economy again; let the economic machine run … Immediately after that, I tried to appoint a committee to prepare a white paper so they were stocktaking… to understand what we inherited from the previous government.”

Yunus said he was shocked by the amount of money laundered from the country. “The estimated calculation was about USD 17 billion from the banking system that just loaned that away.”

In addition, over- and under-invoicing and other legal channels resulted in USD 16 billion per year being shifted away—it was as if a tornado had hit the economy.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus with World Economic Forum Founder and Chair Klaus Schwab. Credit: Press InformationDepartment, Bangladesh

Yunus said they needed to secure the garment industry.

It was also necessary to restore trust in the judicial system where people had disappeared and many, especially the political opposition, were charged with unspecified charges during the 16 years of rule. Even Yunus himself was to be arrested, he told Schwab.

Despite the issues, he was optimistic that the young people were the solution; however, the changes needed were qualitative.

The young generation in Bangladesh was creating their own world through entrepreneurship and technology and should be consulted in their future—even allowed to vote at 16 rather than the traditional 18 years of age.

“They’re smarter than any other generation because of the technology they have. They (already) know what we’ll be teaching them today. There’s nothing surprising for them.”

Resolve Rohingya Crisis

Included among world leaders Yunus met was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had expressed eagerness to meet the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the circumstances that led to the July uprising in Bangladesh, Bangladesh’s relationship with its neighbours, the Rohingya crisis, and the security situation in Myanmar.

Yunus sought Scholz’s cooperation in creating a safe zone for Rohingyas in Myanmar’s Rakhine State under the supervision of the United Nations (UN).

Scholz agreed, saying, “You can be assured that we will support you.”

In August 2017, the Myanmar army started an armed breakdown on Rohingya Muslim minorities in Rakhine State and forced them to flee their homes and take shelter in Bangladesh. Bangladesh hosts over one million Rohingya refugees as of June 2024, according to the UNHCR. The majority of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

During his visit to the WEF, Yunus also urged other global leaders to take immediate actions to resolve the long-pending Rohingya crisis and create a conducive and safe environment in Myanmar so that the displaced people could return to their home of origin with dignity.

Calling for putting the global focus back on the Rohingya crisis, he said the new influx of about 100,000 more refugees has added further burden on Bangladesh.

“The situation is getting complicated. They are pushing more Rohingyas to Bangladesh,” the chief adviser said during a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on January 21.

Assuring that his agency would support Bangladesh to find a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis, Grandi said, “We stand ready to cooperate with you.”

Yunus also broached Grandi about hosting a major global conference on the Rohingya later this year, saying, “Your voice will be more critical.”

Help Dhaka Bring Stolen Money Back

Yunus also asked foreign friends to return hundreds of billions of stolen dollars when he met global leaders in Davos, especially the USD 16 billion that was laundered abroad each year from Bangladesh during Hasina’s 15-year “corrupt regime,” leaving the country in a state of plunder and the economy in a shambles.

While holding meetings with them, the Bangladesh chief adviser called upon the global leaders to send top experts, think tanks, journalists, and international agencies to Bangladesh to dig into how a daylight robbery was committed during Hasina’s regime.

Bangladesh informed the global leaders of its efforts in recovering the laundered money, mentioning that the interim government had formed an Asset Recovery Committee and a task force to recover stolen assets. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has targeted the top 20 money launderers initially to recover the stolen assets.

At a meeting with European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde, Yunus asked for help in recovering billions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh during the previous regime.

“Some USD 17 billion alone were taken out from the country’s banking system by oligarchs close to the dictatorship, and USD 16 billion were siphoned off annually during the 15 years of Hasina rule,” the chief adviser told Lagarde. “It was a massive highway robbery.”

Assuring that she would support the Bangladesh government’s move to recover the stolen money, Lagarde recommended that Bangladesh should also seek help from the IMF to recover and bring the money back home.

World Leaders Support Reform Agendas

After the fall of Hasina’s regime, the Yunus-led interim government has taken major state reform initiatives to bring back democracy and to hold free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

Many leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, World Bank Managing Director Anna Bjerde and former American Vice President Al Gore, vowed to support Bangladesh’s reform programmes.

Gore expressed his support for the country’s reform initiatives and fixing Bangladesh’s institutions and its democratic transition through a free and fair election.

During WEF, Yunus held bilateral meetings with Germany’s Federal Minister for Special Affairs Wolfgang Schmidt; King Philippe of Belgium; Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra; member of the Swiss Federal Council Ignazio Cassis; UN Secretary General António Guterres; DRC President Felix Tshisekedi; former United States special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry; and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

On the sidelines, Yunus held meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and Munich Security Conference Chairman Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, among others.

“Chief Adviser Prof. Yunus’s tour to Davos was very important. I would say it was a tour of historical achievement for Bangladesh,” the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said.

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By Judite Toloko da Silva and Heila Monteiro
LUANDA, Angola, Jan 28 2025 – Access to energy is essential for sustainable development, but for many rural communities, it’s still out of reach. In Angola, according to the 2019-2020 agricultural census, most rural villages lack access to electricity.

Over 83 percent of villages have no electricity at all, while 11 percent rely on private generators. These numbers highlight the urgent need for better energy solutions to support rural communities and boost their development.

Hence, earlier this year, three teams from UNDP Angola joined the dedicated Crowdfunding Academy for Nature, Climate and Energy projects in Africa, supported by the UNDP Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy and the IRH- Alternative Finance Lab.

Through this experience, UNDP Angola launched its first-ever crowdfunding campaign: “Solar Kitchen: Cooking with the Right Energy!”.

This campaign is part of a regional effort, which will include more campaigns in the region under the same thematic area. Alongside other countries, the Solar Kitchen campaign becomes part of the new UNDP Africa #SwitchIt crowdfunding initiative.

This is a pan-African push to address the UNDP Energy Moonshot that aims to provide sustainable, affordable and reliable energy to an additional 500 million people by 2025, while advancing a fair energy transition and also being a pathway to economic empowerment, gender equality and improved quality of life.

How can Solar Kitchens make a difference?

Many women in Angola dedicate their lives to farming and transforming crop production to support their families. However, they face significant challenges due to the lack of electricity. For example, in Huila, southern province of Angola, in the Cacula municipality, women are facing challenges to effectively produce and store their harvests, such as pumpkin and sweet potato, resulting in regular loss.

Through solar-powered kitchens and improved access to resources like water and processing equipment, the Solar Kitchen initiative aims to boost agricultural production and create sustainable livelihoods.

Women like Isabel and Maria, who lead local cooperatives, stand to benefit directly. With access to energy, they can enhance productivity, expand cultivated areas and invest in their economic growth.

The pilot project in Cacula is expected to positively impact directly 47 women, providing them with better living and working conditions. Seventy-eight families stand to benefit through improved food security and income generation, and an estimated 468 people, including local students, will gain access to clean energy.

Furthermore, with access to better tools and training, cooperatives could see a 250 percent increase in cultivated areas and agricultural production, as observed in other regions in Huíla.

These women are key to the success of the Solar Kitchen initiative. In rural Angola, they lead much of the agricultural work, manage farms, and run households and cooperatives. However, without access to energy, their potential is limited by unpaid, time-consuming labour and few opportunities to grow.

The Solar Kitchen campaign helps by reducing the time and effort women spend on difficult tasks, giving them more freedom to improve their businesses and focus on personal development. By addressing the gaps in infrastructure and access to resources, the initiative creates an ecosystem where rural communities can thrive.

How can you help?

The success of the “Solar Kitchen: Cooking with the Right Energy” campaign depends on collective action. Whether through donations or by sharing the campaign within your network, your support can create lasting change. Together, we can empower women like Isabel and Maria, strengthen their rural economies and foster sustainable development in the country.

Let’s cook with the right energy and pave the way for a more sustainable Angola—one solar kitchen at a time.

The Solar Kitchen initiative forms part of a larger initiative for UNDP in Angola, “Kurima – Embracing the Transformation of Rural Economies”, which focuses on improving access to clean energy, enhancing agricultural productivity, and promoting inclusive financial and digital services. This holistic effort aims to empower rural communities, particularly female-led cooperatives, by addressing the systemic challenges they face.

Judite Toloko da Silva is Head of Exploration, UNDP Angola;

Heila Monteiro is Communication and Advocacy Specialist, UNDP Angola

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By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28 2025 – The United Nations (UN) held the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony on January 27 with the theme “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights”. This year – 2025 – marks the 80 year anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of Nazi concentration camps that resulted in the deaths of over 6 million Jews. This event included testimonies from Holocaust survivors, underscoring the importance of understanding and remembrance. With Holocaust denial and attacks on Jews on the rise, it is important to take meaningful steps as a society to combat racism and antisemitism.

The opening remarks at this ceremony was delivered by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in which he emphasized the vast scale of minorities who were targeted by the Nazi party as well as the UN’s commitment to remember and honor these victims.

“Every year on this day, we come together to mark the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. We mourn the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators as they sought to destroy an entire people. We grieve the Romani Sintis, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and all those enslaved, persecuted, tortured, and killed. We stand alongside victims, survivors, and their families. And we renew our resolve to never forget the atrocities that so outraged the conscience of humankind,” said Guterres.

Guterres went on to elaborate on the importance of remembrance. Although survivors of the Holocaust have continued to share their stories, it is a societal responsibility to fight for justice. “Remembrance is not only a moral act , remembrance is a call to action. To allow the Holocaust to fade from memory would dishonor the past and betray the future,” he said.

The UN Deputy Representative for the United States Dorothy Shea also spoke at this conference, underscoring that Holocaust remembrance is especially important as of today with antisemitism on the rise again, especially among younger generations. “Holocaust denial and distortion are also on the rise. They are a form of antisemitism and are often coupled with xenophobia.  History shows, as hatred directed at Jews rises, violence and attacks on the foundations of democracy are not far behind…The data also highlights a troubling increase in antisemitic attitudes among younger demographics, with significant implications for future societal dynamics,” she said.

On January 14, the Anti Defamation League (ADL) released the Global 100 Survey, a study that analyzes trends of antisemitic beliefs around the world. The survey studied around 58,000 people in 103 countries to represent the 94 percent of the entire adult population. It found that approximately 46 percent of adults worldwide harbor some form of antisemitic beliefs, equal to roughly 2.2 billion people. These numbers are nearly double the amount recorded in ADL’s 2014 survey and mark the highest level on record since the beginning of ADL’s surveys.

Additionally, the survey found that approximately 20 percent of the studied population had not heard about the Holocaust. Roughly 48 percent believe in the Holocaust’s historical accuracy, with this percentage being even lower, at an alarming 39 percent among 18-34 year olds. Furthermore, 50 percent of respondents younger than 35 years of age reported elevated levels of antisemitic beliefs.

ADL surveyors also analyzed a possible link between worldwide levels of antisemitism and the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) extensive acts of brutality against Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas War. Approximately 23 percent of respondents indicated support for Hamas.

Overall, sentiments towards Israel were relatively mixed, with 71 percent of respondents believing that their nation should have diplomatic relations with Israel and 75 percent believing that their nation should welcome tourism from Israeli people. Additionally, about 67 percent of respondents believed that their nations should not boycott Israeli goods.

“Antisemitism is nothing short of a global emergency, especially in a post-October 7 world. We are seeing these trends play out from the Middle East to Asia, from Europe to North and South America,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL’s CEO. According to the report, the highest levels of antisemitism are concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa, with the western world harboring relatively lower levels.

The global resurgence of antisemitism is particularly alarming as it has resulted in increased levels of hate crimes and discrimination. “Antisemitic tropes and beliefs are becoming alarmingly normalized across societies worldwide. This dangerous trend is not just a threat to Jewish communities—it’s a warning to us all. Even in countries with the lowest levels of antisemitic attitudes globally, we’ve seen many antisemitic incidents perpetrated by an emboldened small, vocal and violent minority,” said Marina Rosenberg, ADL Senior Vice President for International Affairs.

To effectively combat antisemitism on a global scale, it is imperative for governments, humanitarian organizations, and social media platforms to establish new measures that encourage more diverse and understanding attitudes. This requires action from all individuals to achieve societal progress in eliminating hateful beliefs.

It’s clear that we need new government interventions, more education, additional safeguards on social media, and new security protocols to prevent antisemitic hate crimes. This fight requires a whole-of-society approach – including government, civil society and individuals and now is the time to act,” said Greenblatt.

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