Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, had called for a high-level conference on the Rohingya issue at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly last September. In this context, the resolution titled ‘The situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minority communities in Myanmar’ was unanimously adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday (November 20).
Ambassador Mohammad Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, said that the voluntary and dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar is very important for the sake of regional and international security and for our security. He made these comments in his statement after the resolution on the Rohingya issue was adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. The resolution titled ‘The situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minority communities in Myanmar’, jointly presented by the OIC and the European Union, was unanimously adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. It is co-sponsored by 106 UN Member States, reflecting broad international support for the resolution.
The resolution calls for a high-level conference by the United Nations in 2025, with all stakeholders, to adopt a comprehensive review and an objective and time-bound plan to address the crisis, including the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to Myanmar.
It is worth noting that the Chief Adviser, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, had called for the high-level conference on the Rohingya during the high-level segment of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in September.
This year’s resolution on the Rohingya calls, among other things, for the right of return of all refugees, including Rohingya Muslims, who have taken refuge in various countries, and for concrete steps to be taken to create a safe environment for their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return. It highlights serious human rights violations and crimes, including killings, destruction, burning of homes, obstruction of humanitarian assistance, and forced recruitment of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, especially children. The resolution reiterates its commitment to support all mechanisms of accountability to bring perpetrators to justice. The resolution also emphasizes the important role of ASEAN as a regional organization and highlights the efforts being made to fully implement the five-point consensus of the organization.
Ambassador Muhith, in his address to the General Assembly, said that the prolonged presence of Rohingyas in Bangladesh is creating a complex and worrying situation. He expressed disappointment that no tangible progress has been made in addressing the root causes of the crisis in the past seven years. Referring to the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the resolutions adopted by the Third Committee of the General Assembly today, he called on the international community to take necessary steps to create an enabling environment for the return of Rohingya Muslims. He also stressed the need for adequate funding to continue humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya Muslims until their return.
The unanimous adoption of this resolution is an important step forward, demonstrating the strong commitment and solidarity of the international community towards a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.
