United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has applauded Bangladesh for giving a safe haven to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees driven from their homes in Myanmar by systematic and widespread violence.
On mission in Bangladesh, the Secretary-General praised the country for keeping its borders open and receiving those in need of international protection.
“In a world where so many borders are closed, [the people and Government of Bangladesh] have opened their borders and received their brothers and sisters coming from Myanmar and from the terrible events there,” said Mr. Guterres in the capital Dhaka on Sunday.
The UN chief also praised the World Bank for its recently announced multi-million-dollar grant for Bangladesh to support both refugees and the communities hosting them.
Mr. Guterres noted the progress made by Bangladesh since its independence and highlighted the country’s integration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its national planning frameworks, as an “example that many others can follow.”
If one looks at the low areas, close to the sea, we understand how vulnerable Bangladesh is to the impact of climate change – Secretary-General Guterres
Mr. Guterres also warned of the impact of climate change, particularly for countries such as Bangladesh, where much of the land lies close to sea-level.
He called for greater political will to realize the commitments made through the 2015 Paris climate change agreement and urged countries to raise their ambition to limit temperature rises.
The UN chief also underscored the importance of empowering women and youth, calling for young people to be given more opportunities and great access to education.
The Secretary-General arrived in Bangladesh early on Sunday as part of a joint trip with the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim.
Mr. Guterres and Mr. Kim also met with Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, where they discussed collaboration with her government to address the complex Rohingya crisis. They spoke about how they could work together to create conditions conducive for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, while at the same time, improving condtions for them in Bangladesh.
“By hosting the Rohingya, Bangladesh has done a great service for the world. We will support this effort any way we can,” said Mr. Kim in a tweet following the meeting.
