Three-day international conference on Rohingya crisis begins in Cox's Bazar

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is set to join on the second day of the conference

A three-day international conference titled “Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaways to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation” has begun in Cox's Bazar on Sunday to formulate clear recommendations for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is set to attend the event as the chief guest on Monday.

The conference, organised by the Office of the High Representative for the Rohingya Issue and the foreign affairs ministry, will continue till Aug 26, state-run news agency BSS reported.

The high-level conference will take place on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York on Sept 30.

Diplomats, international experts, academics from different countries, representatives of global organisations, and members of the Rohingya community are participating in the conference held at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar.

The dialogue is being held around five thematic sessions, including the humanitarian assistance and funding crisis, the current situation in Rakhine State, confidence-building initiatives for repatriation, ensuring justice and accountability for the atrocities committed, and long-term strategies for sustainable and timely solutions.

According to the foreign affairs ministry, the conference will highlight the voices of Rohingya men, women, and youth to ensure their experiences, expectations, and grievances are heard by the international community directly.

On Tuesday, participants will visit the Rohingya camps to get a first-hand insight into the real-life challenges faced by the refugees.

Delegates from around 170 countries are expected to join the high-level conference in New York, where the situation of the Rohingya and other persecuted minorities in Myanmar will be discussed in depth.

The dialogue is being held on the eighth anniversary of the Rohingya’s mass exodus to Bangladesh in August 2017, at a time when international aid has been steadily declining and violence in Myanmar continues to escalate.