The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer called for immediate and concrete international support for the Rohingya people during her briefing of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission on 19 December.

The Special Envoy addressed the Commission on the hardship and vulnerable conditions of Rohingya remaining in Myanmar’s Rakhine State as well as over 1 million Rohingya refugees and other displaced people in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, reiterating the United Nations ’gratitude to Bangladesh for showing humanity and stressing the urgency for greater responsibility-sharing.

Special Envoy Heyzer called on countries in the region to urgently rescue and safely disembark hundreds of Rohingya men, women and children, who continue to face desperate circumstances adrift in the Andaman Sea and Strait of Malacca. The Special Envoy will continue to urge ASEAN to develop a regional protection framework for refugees and forcefully displaced persons.

With Indonesia as incoming ASEAN Chair, Special Envoy Heyzer looks forward to working more closely with the OIC and ASEAN, focusing on education and skills development as powerful tools to transform the lives of Rohingya refugees and benefit host communities.