Anwarul Karim Chowdhury
Anwarul Karim Chowdhury | |
---|---|
আনোয়ারুল করিম চৌধুরী | |
Personal details | |
Born | Dhaka, British India | 5 February 1943
Alma mater | University of Dhaka |
Anwarul Karim Chowdhury (Bengali: আনোয়ারুল করিম চৌধুরী; born 5 February 1943) is a Bangladeshi diplomat most noted for his work on development in the poorest nations, global peace and championing the rights of women and children. In a speech he gave in 2005, Chowdhury stated: "We should not forget that when women are marginalized, there is little chance for an open and participatory society."[1] In his role as the leading United Nations Culture of Peace emissary, he said in May 2010 that peace efforts would continually fail until people embraced humanity's oneness.[2]
Biography
Chowdhury was appointed in March 2002 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
In December 2003, Chowdhury was designated as the Secretary-General of the International Meeting for the ten-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of the Small Island Developing States held in Mauritius from 10 to 14 January 2005. Chowdhury was also designated the Secretary-General of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and the Donor Community on Transit Transport Cooperation held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 28–29 August 2003.
Prior to his appointment, Chowdhury completed his assignment (1996–2001) as
During his tenure as Permanent Representative, Chowdhury served as
At the first annual Peace Education Conference,[3] held virtually in September 2021, Chowdhury was the inaugural keynote speaker, as Founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. Also featured was Dr. Stéphane Monney Mouandjo, Director-General of CAFRAD, a UNPAN member, along with other dignitaries.
Education
Chowdhury was born in 1943 in
Honours
Chowdhury is the recipient of the U Thant Peace Award and UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace. He is an Honorary Patron of the Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN), New York. In March 2003, Soka University of Japan conferred on Chowdhury an honorary doctorate for his work on women's issues, child rights and culture of peace as well as for the strengthening of the United Nations. His initiative in March 2000 as the president of the Security Council led to the adoption of the groundbreaking the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in peace and security.
Chowdhury has been decorated by the Government of Burkina Faso with the country's highest honour, L'Ordre national, on 18 June 2007 in Ouagadougou for his championship of the cause of the most vulnerable countries.
Interfaith dialogue
On 2 December 2008, Chowdury said: "Interfaith dialogue is absolutely essential, relevant, and necessary. ... If 2009 is to truly be the Year of Interfaith Cooperation, the UN urgently needs to appoint an interfaith representative at a senior level in the Secretariat."[4]
References
- ^ "The Role of Women in Peace-Building" (PDF). Lehman College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2008.
- ^ "U.N. Envoy: No peace without oneness".
- ^ "Peace Education Day | Virtual Conference". Peace Education Day. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "UN Gathering Commemorates 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (Press release). Universal Peace Federation. Christian Newswire. 10 December 2008.
External links
- In the Fall of 2007 Ambassador Chowdhury taught a week-long course at Soka University of America located in Aliso Viejo, California, the US on the theme of creating a "Culture of Peace".