PM Hasina reaches Geneva to attend ‘World of Work Summit’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Geneva on Tuesday afternoon (local time) on an official visit to attend the ‘World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All’ to be held in the Swiss city on 14-15 June.
A regular flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage landed at Geneva International airport at 5.10 pm local time (9.10 pm Bangladesh Time), prime minister’s speech writer Md. Nazrul Islam told news agency BSS.
Earlier, the flight departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10.14 am.
During the visit, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) chief Filippo Grandi will call on the prime minister at her place of residence on 14 June.
Later, the prime minister 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 “World of Work Summit 2023” at Palais de Nations.
On her arrival, she will be greeted by ADG and regional director of ILO (International Labour Organisation) where there will be a red carpet and Guard of Honour from the gate to the meeting venue, to the plenary venue.
Sheikh Hasina will also pay a call on president of Malta 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 15 June, she is scheduled to attend ‘A talk at the WEF (World Economic Forum)’, followed by a meeting with founder of WEF professor Klaus Schwab at 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 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 11:00 am (local time) on 16 June. She is likely to reach in Dhaka early on 17 June.
“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 they 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 also 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.
There will be 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.