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The Minister of Foreign Affairs co-organized a meeting with the French Foreign Minister in New York today to discuss the Rohingya crisis and called for urgent action by the international community.
1 – On Monday, 24 September, British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian co-organized a high-level event on the Rohingya crisis. Ministers from Burma / Myanmar and Bangladesh were joined by high-level participants from Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey and the United States. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener and Administrator of the United Nations Development Program Achim Steiner also participated.
2 – The Co-Chairs agreed that the fate of the Rohingya was one of the biggest refugee crises in recent history and one of the most pressing humanitarian and human rights crises facing the international community today 'hui. They noted with deep concern the findings of the report of the United Nations fact-finding mission, which allege that the Burmese Army is responsible for serious human rights violations, which can be likened to crimes against humanity and conclude that there is sufficient information to warrant investigation and prosecution. senior officials of the Burmese army so that a competent court can determine their responsibility for genocide in relation to the situation in Rakhine State. They also noted the conclusion of the fact-finding mission that perpetrators should be held accountable. Since August 2017, they have displaced more than 723,000 Rohingya currently residing in Bangladesh.
3 – The Co-Chairs noted that over the past year, the Burmese Government had taken steps to address the crisis, including the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Burma / Myanmar and UNDP and UNHCR and the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
4 – The Co-Chairs noted the decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber that the court could exercise jurisdiction over the alleged expulsion of the Rohingya people from Myanmar in Bangladesh and the alleged crime of humanity. They took note of the decision of the prosecutor of the ICC, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, to open a preliminary examination concerning the alleged expulsion of the Rohingya people from Burma / Myanmar in Bangladesh. They recalled their support for the efforts of the Human Rights Council to implement the findings of the fact-finding mission and to press for reports, including through an independent mechanism for the collection, consolidation, preservation and analysis of evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Burma / Myanmar.
5 – The Co-Presidents called for the immediate release of the two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Ooo, as well as respect for their fundamental rights. In all countries, journalists must be free to perform their duties without fear or intimidation.
6 – The Co-Chairs renewed their support to the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, and called on the Burmese Government to continue to cooperate with her.
7 – However, the Co-Chairs regretted that the conditions in Rakhine State have not yet allowed safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of refugees to Rakhine and that there is still a need for international action to obtain faster and faster progress. in three main areas. These included:
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The Burma – UNDP – UNHCR memorandum of understanding: full implementation and effective access for UNHCR and UNDP is a necessary step in any return process, as well as other confidence-building measures such as freedom of Rohingya movement. Immediate, safe and unimpeded access must be provided to United Nations agencies and their partners, as well as other national and international non-governmental organizations, to provide humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State.
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A credible process of accountability and recourse: given the seriousness of the findings of the United Nations fact-finding mission, continued international efforts are needed to pursue accountability alongside the work of the national CoI that has not yet produced tangible results. In addition, the ICI needs to provide more information on its terms of reference and how it will operate impartially and independently and in cooperation with international bodies, including the UN.
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Concrete implementation of the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Committee: The Co-Chairs stated that these recommendations were the best way towards the stability of Rakhine and Burma / Myanmar, improving conditions and equal rights for all. linked to the end of discrimination, the protection of human rights and the creation of a pathway to citizenship for the Rohingya. The Co-Chairs also reaffirmed the willingness of the international community to help Burma fully implement all the recommendations.
8 – The Co-Chairs thanked the Government and people of Bangladesh for hosting more than one million refugees. They encouraged the international community to continue and intensify its support to refugees and Bangladeshi host communities, including by increasing financial support for the United Nations Joint Response Plan.
Further information
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