Addressing root causes of Rohingya crisis critical, BD envoy tells UN

 

The open debate discusses possible role of Security Council in addressing inequalities, exclusion and conflict  

Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Rabab Fatima has said the social and political exclusion of Rohingya minorities in Myanmar has blown into a crisis with serious humanitarian and security ramifications for the region.

“Addressing the root causes of conflicts is critical for breaking the cycle of recurring violence,” she said while addressing the Security Council High-Level Open Debate titled “Maintaining international peace and security: exclusion, inequality and conflict” on Tuesday.

The open debate was convened by the delegation of Mexico, the current president of the Security Council, to deliberate on the possible role of Security Council in addressing inequalities, exclusion and conflict. The president of Mexico chaired the open debate.

At the meeting, the Bangladesh ambassador underscored that the underlying factors of conflicts may vary across economic, political, and cultural spectrums.

  

As such, she said, there must be a whole UN approach for encouraging a nationally-driven and multi-stakeholder solution towards durable peace.

 

The ambassador stated that the Security Council has a critical role to play in mitigating inequalities and exclusion when they lead to international or regional conflicts.

In the context of maintaining international peace, Ambassador Fatima said the UN peace operations and special political missions can bring great strength to preventive diplomacy because they have firsthand information from the field, which can strengthen early warning systems against any impending crisis.

Ambassador Fatima recommended that the Council should invest more in implementing the WPS and YPS agendas in order to ensure inclusion.

She emphasized upholding the rule of law at the global level and in this regard recognized the role of the International Court of Justice, and other international legal bodies and tribunals.

“It’s imperative that the Council demonstrates its firm commitment in upholding the sanctity of ICJ and other legal bodies,” she said.