Anwarul Karim Chowdhury ( bn, আনোয়ারুল করিম চৌধুরী; born 5 February 1943) is a
Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...
diplomat most noted for his work on
development in the poorest nations,
global peace and championing the
rights of women and
children
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
. 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." 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.
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
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
,
Kazakhstan on 28–29 August 2003.
Prior to his appointment, Chowdhury completed his assignment (1996–2001) as
Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York City. 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
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
.
During his tenure as Permanent Representative, 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 City. 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. Chowdhury also chaired the Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee of the
United Nations General Assembly in 1997–1998. From 1990 to 1993, Chowdhury was the UNICEF Director for Japan, Australia and
New Zealand.
At the first annual Peace Education Conference, 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,
UNPANmember, along with other dignitaries.
Education
Chowdhury was born in 1943 in
Dhaka,
British India and joined the diplomatic service in 1967. He holds a Master of Arts degree in
contemporary history
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is ...
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
The School of Diplomacy (), or the School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances was a political and diplomatic clique during the Warring States period of Chinese history (476-220 BCE). According to the ''Book of Han'', the school was one of the Ni ...
,
Seton Hall University of
South Orange, New Jersey, the United States.
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
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (S/RES/1325), on women, peace, and security, was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on 31 October 2000, after recalling resolutions 1261 (1999), 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), and 1314 (200 ...
on the role of women in peace and security.
Chowdhury has been decorated by the
Government of Burkina Faso
The Politics of Burkina Faso takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of Burkina Faso is the head of state. Ex ...
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."
References
External links
* In the Fall of 2007 Ambassador Chowdhury taught a week-long course at
Soka University of America located in
Aliso Viejo
Aliso Viejo (Spanish for "Old Sycamore") is a city in the San Joaquin Hills of southern Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on ...
, California, the US on the theme of creating a "Culture of Peace".
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Anwarul Karim
1943 births
Living people
Bangladeshi politicians
Bangladeshi officials of the United Nations
Bangladeshi diplomats
Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Chile
Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Nicaragua
Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Peru
Ambassadors of Bangladesh to Venezuela
High Commissioners of Bangladesh to the Bahamas
High Commissioners of Bangladesh to Guyana
Chairmen and Presidents of UNICEF
Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh to the United Nations