OIC Groups in Geneva and Brussels Hold Emergency Meetings on Crisis Situation Facing the Rohingya in Myanmar

By OIC

December 23, 2016

In line with the OIC General Secretariat’s continued serious concerns regarding the situation of the Rohingya Muslim Minority; the OIC Groups in Geneva and Brussels held Emergency Meetings during the past several days to discussthe on-going crisis facing the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. The meetings sought to identify possible actions that may be taken in the lead up to the forthcoming Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be convened on 19 January 2017 in Kuala Lumpur on the Rohingya issue. 

The meeting in Geneva was chaired by Ambassador Tahmina Janjua, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, in her capacity as OIC Geneva Group Coordinator on Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues, and in Brussels by Ambassador Vladimir Norov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Belgium, in his capacity as Chair of OIC Group.

In both of the meetings, the Heads of OIC Permanent Missions in Geneva and Brussels briefed the meetings on the OIC’s latest efforts in responding to the Rohingya crisis.

During the course of discussions, members of the Groupsexchanged their views on the latest developments, expressed their concerns over the continued violence against the Rohingya minority and expressed their unanimous apprehension at the attitude of the Myanmar government towards the situation in Rakhine state. They reiterated the call for the restoration of the rights of the Rohingya community, including the fundamental rights to freely exercise their religion. 

The Groups called for concrete actions to address the basic human rights and humanitarian issues of this long suffering minority and called upon the government to ensure that the displaced Rohingya population are allowed to return to their homes in safety and dignity.

The Geneva and Brussels meetings proposed further engagement with the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union in particular, in order to coordinate further action alleviate the plight of the Rohingya people.