Live Desk: United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres extended warm greetings to the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of the country's Independence and National Day.

In a message to President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday, Guterres said, "Each member of the United Nations has its unique culture and history diversity that enriches our organisation and our world. Your country's engagement in the work of the United Nations across the international agenda is extremely important."

"This year, the first decade of action for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) we must raise our collective ambition to build a fair globalisation that works for all and take decisive climate action."

He also said, Global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable countries.

"COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity, and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country responses are not going to be enough," said Guterres at the launch, a virtual event.

"We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable -- millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. This is a matter of basic human solidarity."

The response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and NGO consortia playing a direct role in the response, said Mark Lowcock, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

The plan will be coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Lowcock heads.

The plan will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people; install handwashing stations in camps and settlements; launch public information campaigns on prevention; and establish airbridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most, said Lowcock.

Guterres said the world faces an unprecedented threat as COVID-19 has rapidly covered the globe. "It has spread suffering, disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy."

Dhaka 26 March (campuslive24.com)//tr