Guterres hopes Bangladesh to continue support to UN peace operations

Online Desk

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has highly praised the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the UN Missions and hoped that the country would continue to provide more troops to fulfill UN’s future needs in this regard.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen who met Guterres at the UN headquarters recently, requested the SG to appoint more Bangladeshi nationals at the high-level positions of the UN peace operations, and also in the position of SRSG (Special Representative of Secretary General) in various UN political missions across the world.

The Foreign Minister briefed the SG about the current situation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and sought UN’s help to repatriate all Rohingyas to Myanmar.

The Secretary General highly appreciated Bangladesh’s generosity for sheltering 1.1 millions Rohingyas and reiterated UN’s support for returning the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.

The SG also applauded Bangladesh’s extraordinary socio-economic development under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hoped that Bangladesh would continue to achieve more successes in the coming years, particularity in attaining the SDGs, said the Bangladesh Mission at the UN.

The Foreign Minister also requested the SG to appoint more Bangladeshi nationals at the high-level positions of the UN peace operations, and also in the position of SRSG (Special Representative of Secretary General) in various UN political Mission across the world.

Dr Momen thanked Guterres for meeting him despite his busy schedule due to current Ukraine crisis.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister held a meeting with Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, the newly appointed Special Envoy of the Secretary General on Myanmar, who is currently visiting New York.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister requested Heyzer to engage with all stakeholders including the regional countries to find a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis, particularly by creating a conducive environment in Rakhine state so that the Rohingyas can return to their homes in safety, security and dignity.

He briefed the special envoy on the steps taken by the Bangladesh government to prevent spread of COVID in Rohingya camps, to provide Myanmar-curriculum-based education to Rohingya children in the camps, among others.

He also referred to the new accommodation facility in Bhashan char for 100,000 Rohingya and informed Heyzer that the Rohingya relocated there will have the opportunity to engage in livelihood activities.

The Foreign Minister said, in the absence of any hope for return to their homeland, the Rohingyas increasingly have been getting involved in illicit and criminal activities.

He invited Heyzer to visit Cox’s Bazar camps and Bhashan char at her earliest convenience.

The Special Envoy expressed her deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for providing shelter to the Rohingya when they fled Myanmar in 2017 and commended her for her compassion and leadership.

She assured that the Rohingya issue will remain high on her agenda and she would remain deeply engaged with all relevant stakeholders – the regional countries and other international actors, Rohingya leaders and the authorities in Myanmar to find a sustainable solution to this crisis as soon as possible.

Charge d’ Affaires, of the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN Md. Monwar Hossain was present during the meetings.