Secretary-General Welcomes Memorandum on Creating Conditions Conducive to Safe Rohingya Refugee Returns from Bangladesh, Reintegration in Rakhine State

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the memorandum of understanding reached by the Government of Myanmar, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the United Nations system’s support to creating conditions conducive to voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable Rohingya refugee returns from Bangladesh, and their reintegration in Rakhine State.  As these conditions are not yet in place, he welcomes the agreement by the Government of Myanmar to take this first step to address the root causes of the conflict in Rakhine.

The Secretary-General encourages Myanmar to take decisive steps to implement the agreement.  He also reiterates his call for an end to violence, accountability for perpetrators, redress for victims, humanitarian access to all areas in Rakhine State, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission.