State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Tuesday urged the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to explore new avenues of cooperation with Bangladesh, with a particular focus on expanding opportunities for women and girls and promoting their meaningful participation in sustainable and inclusive development.

She made the call during a courtesy meeting with UNOPS Country Manager Sudhir Muralidharan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a press release issued by the ministry.

During the meeting, the state minister appreciated the longstanding partnership between Bangladesh and the United Nations system and reaffirmed the government's strong commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation in advancing sustainable development for people, the planet and prosperity.

Highlighting the government's development priorities, Shama emphasised the importance of women's empowerment, girls' education and strengthening women's leadership across all sectors.

She also underscored the need to accelerate efforts to achieve gender equality in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, encouraging UNOPS to broaden its cooperation in areas that create greater opportunities for women and girls while fostering their active participation in sustainable and inclusive development.

Muralidharan briefed the state minister on UNOPS' global and country-level priorities, ongoing programmes and future plans in Bangladesh.

He reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting the Government of Bangladesh in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through continued partnership, technical expertise and effective project implementation.