Bangladesh and the United Nations on Tuesday underlined stronger cooperation with the Maldives to protect the rights, security, and well-being of immigrant workers in the Maldives, the majority of whom are Bangladeshis.
According to a message obtained on Tuesday, the discussion took place during a meeting between UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives Hao Zhang and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the Maldives Dr Md Nazmul Islam in Mal on Monday.
During the discussion, all sides discussed ways to strengthen continuing collaboration between the UN, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, with a special emphasis on protecting migrant workers and providing their access to basic services and legal protection.
The UN Resident Coordinator informed the High Commissioner on current UN activities in the Maldives, priority sectors, and measures to increase resource utilisation in support of migrant workers’ welfare and rights, which are a critical UN priority.
High Commissioner Nazmul Islam praised the UNRC for its assistance in promoting the rights, healthcare, and basic necessities of expatriate Bangladeshi workers.
He emphasised that Bangladeshi migrants easily adapt to Maldivian culture and language, and they have made major contributions to the island nation’s economy and growth.
He emphasised prospects for Maldivian medical graduates to complete internships in Bangladesh and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to collaborating with Maldivian authorities to improve public health, labour rights, and human resource development.
The High Commissioner also recommended holding collaborative seminars and programmes on labour rights, public health, and other critical topics in collaboration with the United Nations, the Maldivian government, and the Bangladesh High Commission.
The UNRC supported the idea and asked the IOM to develop a more comprehensive framework for protecting the rights of migrant workers in the Maldives.
Both parties also highlighted the possibilities of closer collaboration between IOM Bangladesh and IOM Maldives to improve safe migration and monitoring procedures, thereby strengthening the tripartite organisation.
They expressed optimism that collaborative UN-Bangladesh-Maldives measures will improve regional peace, human rights, migrant welfare, and sustainable development.
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