South Asia

UN to hold high-level conference on Rohingya crisis in 2025

Published: 13:12, 21 November 2024

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution deciding to hold an all-stakeholder high-level UN Conference in 2025 to propose a time-bound plan for sustainable resolution of the Rohingya crisis.

This high-level Conference is part of a call from the Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus during the high-level week of the 79th UNGA in September last.
'Ensuring conditions for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar is of paramount importance for regional and international security,' said Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN, in a statement following the resolution's adoption by the UNGA’s Third Committee on November 20.
The resolution, titled 'The Situation of Human Rights of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar,' was jointly submitted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU). It received significant international support, with 106 countries co-sponsoring the measure, according to a statement released on November 21.
The resolution emphasizes the urgency of addressing the crisis, calling for the high-level conference to take place in 2025. Its aim will be to create actionable steps for the sustainable resolution of the challenges faced by Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar.
Ambassador Muhith highlighted the resolution’s unanimous adoption as a major step, demonstrating the international community’s commitment to resolving the crisis. He expressed concern over the prolonged presence of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, describing the situation as increasingly complex and concerning. He also voiced frustration over the lack of progress in addressing the root causes of the crisis over the past seven years.
The ambassador further stressed the importance of sufficient funding for humanitarian efforts to support the Rohingya community until their safe return to Myanmar can be facilitated.