National People’s Assembly held at YWCA Auditorium, Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
As part of the Global Week of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National People’s Assembly was held on 26 September 2026 at the YWCA Auditorium in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. The Assembly was jointly organized by GCAP Bangladesh and the SDG Action Alliance.
The Assembly brought together representatives of civil society organizations, women’s and farmers’ movements, human rights and peace activists, and marginalized communities to exchange perspectives and strengthen collective action for advancing Universal Social Protection, Economic Justice and Global Solidarity.
The Assembly was presided over by S. M. Nazer Hossain and moderated by Abdul Awal, National Coordinator of GCAP Bangladesh. Mehnaj Parvin Mala presented the compiled National Position Paper entitled “Advancing Universal Social Protection, Economic Justice and Global Solidarity.”
Participants exchanging perspectives during the discussion session.
Participants discussed the growing challenges of poverty, inequality, social exclusion, climate vulnerability and the widening gap in international development cooperation. The Assembly called upon global leaders to take urgent measures to ensure adequate resources for universal social protection and economic justice.
Key Calls and Urges
Among its key calls, the Assembly urged:
- Cancellation of unsustainable and unjust external debt to create fiscal space for social protection, essential public services and inclusive development;
- Fulfilment by high-income countries of the longstanding commitment to provide 0.7% of their Gross National Income (GNI) as Official Development Assistance (ODA);
- Ensuring that development assistance is additional to, and not counted as or substituted by, climate finance, in recognition of the distinct responsibilities of development cooperation and climate action;
- Strengthening international cooperation and global solidarity to address poverty, inequality and climate vulnerability; and
- Advancing a universal, rights-based and adequate social protection system that leaves no one behind.
The Assembly emphasized that achieving the SDGs requires stronger collective action at both national and global levels, backed by adequate public resources, fairer international financial arrangements and genuine global solidarity.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to work collectively with civil society, social movements and marginalized communities to advance Universal Social Protection, Economic Justice and Global Solidarity and to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
Event Highlights
