The international community and regional countries must continue their efforts to resolve the Rohingya crisis. Creating a conducive environment in the Rakhine State and ensuring accountability for the horrendous crimes committed against them is critical in this regard,” said Ambassador Rabab Fatima while delivering her statement at the 3rd committee general debate held at the UN headquarters.
In her statement, Ambassador Fatima expressed serious concern at the growing sense of hopelessness in the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, which is caused by the delay in repatriation. “While Bangladesh is doing its best to ensure humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas, including by ensuring vaccination of all the eligible Rohingyas, the ultimate solution to this protracted crisis lies in their safe, sustainable, and dignified return in Myanmar,” she stated.
Ambassador Rabab Fatima called upon the international community and the regional countries to continue their efforts in this regard. “We will work with the OIC and the European Union on the annual resolution in this Committee on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar,” she added.
In her statement, Ambassador Fatima outlined Bangladesh’s core priorities in the third committee this year. Apart from the resolution on Rohingya crisis, the key priorities of Bangladesh include, ensuring vaccine equity, promoting women empowerment and addressing violence against women, ensuring rights of the children including their right to education, protecting the rights and well-being of migrant workers, and promotion and protection of human rights at the national and global level.
She dying light on the disproportionate impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on people in a vulnerable situations, the Bangladesh Ambassador called for greater solidarity and cooperation to promote an inclusive and resilient recovery. “The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and exclusion both within and across our societies. And we believe that this Committee has a special responsibility to promote actions to protect the most vulnerable, and to help us chart a recovery that leaves no one behind,” she added.
Earlier in the morning, Ambassador Rabab Fatima delivered her statement at the First Committee and fifth committee general debates.