Raise voice for int'l climate court

Citing that developed countries hardly deliver on the promises they make during the UN climate conference, the parliament members yesterday said Bangladesh should raise the issue of setting up an international climate court to establish climate justice.

Hasanul Haq Inu, the information minister, expected the mass media to be beside the government to realise the demands it will raise at the upcoming Paris summit.

Whether climate change will make vulnerable countries more vulnerable or not will depend on the success of the Paris summit, said Dr Ahsan Uddin, executive director of the Centre for Global Change, presenting the keynote speech at a seminar.

It was organised by the all-party parliamentary group at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. 

Dr Ahsan said Bangladesh should raise its voice for a legally binding agreement that would help all developed countries obey the agreement in the future.

Developed countries committed $100 billion in 2009 but have given only $10 billion so far, while the world's expenditure for arms has increased by $70 billion in the same period, said Hasan Mahmud, chief of the parliamentary committee on environment and forest ministry.

Former food minister Dr Abdur Razzak said many members of the Bangladeshi delegation remained busy shopping other than trying to negotiate for the country.

Drawing on her experiences of negotiations, Dr Dipu Moni, chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign ministry, said agreements often changed even after being signed, so the Bangladeshi team should keep watch on what was being written in the deal. The climate summit starts in Paris on November 30.