DOHA, QATAR — Md. Ilias Miah, Chief Executive of the Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum (CEHRDF), participated in a high-level side event on Climate Finance during the 2nd World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) held in Doha, Qatar. The session, organized by the NGO Committee, convened civil society leaders, environmental advocates, and international delegates to examine equitable funding mechanisms for vulnerable regions.

Presenting critical field perspectives from Bangladesh and Cox’s Bazar, Md. Ilias Miah stressed the imperative for equitable, direct, and transparent climate finance that reaches the most vulnerable communities across the Global South. He underscored that frontline populations bear the heaviest consequences of environmental shocks despite contributing the least to global emissions.

Addressing the forum, the CEHRDF Chief Executive remarked:

"Climate justice is not only about resources — it is about fairness, dignity, and empowering those who live at the frontline of the crisis. From Copenhagen to Doha, the call remains the same: inclusive development must leave no one behind."

He urged global financial institutions and multilateral bodies to reform traditional funding frameworks, dismantle bureaucratic bottlenecks, and prioritize locally led adaptation strategies. Highlighting the compounded vulnerabilities in coastal and ecologically fragile areas like Cox's Bazar, he called for financing models that integrate climate resilience with human rights and social equity.

The event concluded with civil society delegates calling on global leaders and donor agencies to ensure that international climate commitments translate into tangible, accessible, and community-centered interventions.