Ambassador Chowdhury

CPI sends out special thanks to Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury for his participation in the IDP NGO Committee for Peace Day 2012.

Ambassador Anwarul Karim 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, Mr. 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 10-14 January 2005. Mr. 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, Ambassador Chowdhury completed his assignment (1996-2001) as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York. He also served as Bangladesh's Ambassador to Chile, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela, as well as Bangladesh's High Commissioner to the Bahamas and Guyana.

During his tenure as Permanent Representative, Mr. Chowdhury served as President of the Security Council, President of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board and Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of the UN in 1997 and 1998. He had served for more than 10 years, as the Coordinator for the Least Developed Countries in New York. In May 2001, he led the negotiations on behalf of the least developed countries at the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, which adopted the comprehensive Brussels Programme of Action for the present decade. Mr. Chowdhury also chaired the Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee of the UN General Assembly in 1997-1998. From 1990-1993, Mr. Chowdhury was the UNICEF Director for Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Mr. Chowdhury was born in 1943 in Dhaka, Bangladesh and joined the diplomatic service in 1967. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Contemporary History and International Relations from the University of Dhaka. He has been a regular contributor to journals on peace, development and human rights issues, and a speaker at academic institutions and other forums. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Diplomacy, Seton Hall University of the United States.

Mr. 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, the Soka University of Tokyo, Japan conferred on Ambassador 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.

Speeches and Statements by High Representative Chowdhury

Almaty, 22 May 2007	High Representative's statement at the 63rd Session of ESCAP on 'Development of Health Systems in the context of enhancing economic growth towards achieving the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific Download/View PDF
Almaty, 21 May 2007	High Representative's statement on "Achieving the MDGs in the ESCAP Region” at the 63rd Session of ESCAP Download/View PDF
Addis Ababa, 02 April 2007	High Representative's statement at the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development on 'Accelerating Africa's Growth and Development to Meet the MDGs: Challenges and the Way Forward' Download/View PDF
DAEGU, South Korea, 26 February 2007	High Representative Keynote Address at the International Energy Conference on ‘Sustainability: Energy for Developing Nations: Sources, Opportunities and Challenges Download/View PDF
New York , 19 December 2006	High Representative Statement on the occasion of the observance of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation Download/View PDF
New York , 15 December 2006	High Representative Statement at the ECOSOC Meeting to commemorate International Human Solidarity Day Download/View PDF
Washington, 6 December 2006	High Representative Address at the 27th Annual Global Media Awards of the Population Institute Download/View PDF
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 21 November 2006	High Representative Address on "The New Dimension of South- South and North South Communications at the Inter Press Support Group Annual Meeeting Download/View PDF
New York 17 November 2006	High Representative Vote of Thanks at UN Tribute to2006 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, Professor MUHAMMAD YUNUS Download/View PDF
New York , 10 November 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 57 (a): Implementation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty Download/View PDF
New York , 08 November 2006	Introduction of the Report of the Secretary-General at the Second Committee of at the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly under Agenda Item 56 (b) Implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action Download/View PDF
New York , 08 November 2006	Introduction of the Report of the Secretary-General at the Second Committee of at the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly under Agenda Item 56 (a) on “Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010” Download/View PDF
New York , 02 November 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 58 on Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations system Download/View PDF
New York , 25 October 2006	High Representative's Opening Remarks at the Launch of the 'Global Media Compact: Creating Global Awareness on Poverty, Disease and Hunger' Download/View PDF
New York , 25 October 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 53'on Sustainable development (b) Follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (c) International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Download/View PDF
Shanghai, 18 October 2006	High Representative's Statement at the 6th Annual Forum on City Informatization in the Asia-Pacific Region (CIAPR VI) Download/View PDF
Shanghai, 17 October 2006	High Representative's Special Address at the Opening Plenary Session of the Meeting on the establishment of the Global South Development Forum Download/View PDF
New York 12 October 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 50 'Information and communication technologies for development Download/View PDF
New York 10 October 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly on Agenda Item 52 'Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development' Download/View PDF
New York 9 October 2006	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assemblyon Agenda Item 50 'Macroeconomic policy questions' Download/View PDF
New York 18 September 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the Meeting of the Investment Advisory Council: “Reviewing the performance of LDCs in terms of FDI attraction since 2001” Download/View PDF
Havana 14 September 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the Summit meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries Download/View PDF
Hiroshima 1 September 2006	Keynote address of the High Representative - "Building the Culture of Peace: An Essential Component of Sustainable Development in the Most Vulnerable Countries" at the Global Conference on "Building a Just and Sustainable Peace" Download/View PDF
New York 24 July 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the launch of the book,"Geography Against Development, A Case for Landlocked Countries" Download/View PDF
Geneva 20 July 2006	Statement of the High Representative introducing the report of the Secretary –General on “Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010”at the general segment of the 2006 substantive session of ECOSOC Download/View PDF
New York 22 June 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the Informal Interactive Hearings with NGOs, civil society organisations and private sector on the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 Download/View PDF
Cotonou Benin, 7 June 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries preparatory to the Mid-term comprehensive global review of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 Download/View PDF
Cotonou Benin, 5 June 2006	Remarks of the High Representative at the EXPERTS LEVEL SEGMENT of the Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries for the Mid-term comprehensive global review of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 Download/View PDF
Sussex England, 30 May 2006	Presentation of the High Representative at the 816th Wilton Park Conference on Peace and Security: Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Download/View PDF
New York 19 May 2006	Welcome remarks of the High Representative at the launch of report, "Governance for the Future - Democracy and Developemnt in Least Developed Countries" Download/View PDF
New York 8 May 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the CSD-14 on the SIDS Day Download/View PDF
Beppu Japan, 05 May 2006	Statement of the High Representative on the Culture of Peace at the First Global Film Festival in Japan Download/View PDF
Bangkok 14 March 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the opening ceremony of the Regional Meeting of Asia-Pacific LDCs for the Midterm Comprehensive Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for LDCs for the Decade 2001 - 2010 Download/View PDF
Addis Ababa 21 February 2006	Statement of the High Representative at the opening ceremony of the Regional Meeting of frican LDCs for the Midterm Comprehensive Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for LDCs for the Decade 2001 - 2010 Download/View PDF
Cotonou, Benin 10 February 2006	Statement by the High Representative at the Opening Session of the Ministerial Conference of LDCs on 'Enhancing the Development Impact of Remittances'. Download/View PDF
Vienna 23 January 2006	Key note address by the High Representative at the Economic Forum of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Download/View PDF
New York 19 December 2005	High Representative's Statement at the commemoration of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation Download/View PDF
Shanghai 15 December 2005	High Representative's Statement at the Shanghai Symposium on the Creative Economy Download/View PDF
Hong Kong 13 December 2005	High Representative's Statement at the Meeting of Trade Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries on the sidelines of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the WTO Download/View PDF
Hong Kong 12 December 2005	High Representative's Statement at the Meeting of Trade Ministers of the Least Developed Countries at the WTO trade talks Download/View PDF
Hong Kong 12 December 2005	High Representative's Statement at the Seminar on Commodities and Development organized by the South Centre Download/View PDF
New York 16 November 2005	High Representative's Statement to the Second Committee of the General Assembly on Enhanced Cooperation between the United Nations and all Relevant Partners, especially the Private Sector Download/View PDF