Belgium Queen Mathilde in Dhaka on 3-day visit
United Nations Secretary-General's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocate, Queen of Belgium, Mathilde arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a three-day official visit.
"In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic which stalled and reversed development progress globally, and the subsequent war against Ukraine that precipitated a cost-of-living crisis, this visit highlights the heightened importance of the SDGs, and also showcases Bangladesh's dynamism and commitment to them," said a press release issued by the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, accompanied by Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud, received the Queen upon her arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the morning.
During her three-day visit, Queen Mathilde is scheduled to meet with government officials and the UN Country Team members and visit project sites of multiple UN agencies covering a number of SDGs, including Education, Responsible Consumption and Production, Economic Growth and Gender Equality.
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On the first day, she visited Fakir Apparels Ltd in Narayanganj and met with the factory's women employees, who have participated in women's empowerment initiatives under the Better Work programme by the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Queen Mathilde also visited childcare facilities of the factory.
"I am delighted that Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians has joined us in advocating for decent work and the SDGs in Bangladesh. Ensuring decent work contributes to progress on many other SDGs including those related to inequality, poverty, food security, health, and the environment—particularly for dynamic countries like Bangladesh," said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh, as quoted in the release.
Afterwards, the Queen of Belgium visited an Ability Based Accelerated Learning (Abal) centre in Dhaka's Khilgaon, where she spoke with the children about how the Covid-19 pandemic had affected their lives and education.
Abal centres support enrolment of children aged 7-14 who have dropped out, are at risk of dropping out from school, or have never been enrolled in formal education, in formal primary schools.
