UN envoy on Myanmar holds talks with Chief Adviser

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his office on Thursday.

According to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the UN envoy praised Professor Yunus for his leadership in keeping the Rohingya issue high on the global agenda.

He highlighted the Chief Adviser’s successful initiative to convene a UN International Conference on the Rohingya crisis, scheduled for 30 September at UN headquarters in New York.

“The world is grateful to Bangladesh for its generosity in hosting and supporting the Rohingya people, and to you for keeping alive the hope of a lasting solution,” Andrews said.

Professor Yunus expressed hope that the upcoming UN conference would pave the way for concrete solutions to the long-standing crisis. He also voiced concern over recent reductions in international funding, which have affected the provision of essential services such as health and education for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. He urged Andrews to continue advocating for adequate resources.

Andrews commended Bangladesh’s engagement with international stakeholders but lamented that the UN Secretary-General’s initiative to establish a humanitarian channel for stabilising Rakhine and facilitating Rohingya repatriation had been undermined by propaganda.

Despite this setback, he remained optimistic that sustained efforts could lead to an early and durable resolution and called on Bangladesh to maintain its leadership role.

Andrews is currently visiting Bangladesh to attend a stakeholders’ dialogue on the Rohingya issue in Cox’s Bazar on August 25, which the Chief Adviser is expected to inaugurate.