UN
UN officials praise Bangladeshi peacekeepers during meeting with PM Hasina
United Nations Under-Secretaries General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Catherine Pollard jointly paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Sunday (June 25, 2023).
In the meeting, they discussed different issues including the UN peacekeeping operations, climate change and women security, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.
The UN officials said the world body has successfully completed 75 years of its peacekeeping operation.
Read: Discrimination, sexual abuse have no place in Peacekeeping Missions, Dhaka says
They highly praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their contribution to maintain peace.
In this regard, the prime minister told the UN officials that Bangladesh has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping missions for three decades with dedication and professionalism.
She said Bangladesh is the largest troops contributing country for the UN peacekeeping missions. "Some 7,500 Bangladeshi males and females are employed in nine UN peacekeeping missions around the globe," the press secretary quoted her as saying.
Catherine Pollard thanked the prime minister for Bangladesh's contribution to the trust fund to check sexual exploitation and abuse.
In reply, Hasina said Bangladesh is deeply committed to women security and increasing women's participation in UN peacekeeping.
Read: UN USG for Peace Operations Lacroix to attend 1st peacekeeping ministerial preparatory meeting in Dhaka
She reiterated her government's zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse.
She said Bangladesh has taken serious punitive measures against the individuals who were found guilty through investigation in this regard.
Talking about climate change, the PM said Bangladesh is a vulnerable country and her government is implementing mitigation and adaptation programmes with its own funds.
Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Muhammad Abdul Muhith were present at the meeting.
Read more: Evolution of UN Peacekeeping into 4th generation will create new challenges for third world countries including Bangladesh: BIPSS president
UN steps up criticism of IMF and World Bank, the other pillars of the post-World War II global order
From the ashes of World War II, three institutions were created as linchpins of a new global order. Now, in an unusual move, the top official in one — the secretary-general of the United Nations — is pressing for major changes in the other two.
Antonio Guterres says the International Monetary Fund has benefited rich countries instead of poor ones. And he describes the IMF and World Bank 's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a "glaring failure" that left dozens of countries deeply indebted.
Also Read: Budget not based on IMF conditions: Finance Minister
Guterres' criticism, in a recent paper, isn't the first time he's called for overhauling global financial institutions. But it is his most in-depth analysis of their problems, cast in light of their response to the pandemic, which he called a "stress test" for the organizations.
His comments were issued ahead of meetings called by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday and Friday to address reforms of the multilateral development banks and other issues.
Neither the IMF nor the World Bank would comment directly on the secretary-general's criticisms and proposals. But Guterres' comments echo those of outside critics, who see the IMF and World Bank's leadership limited by the powerful nations that control them — a situation similar to that of the United Nations, which has faced its own calls for reform.
Also Read: Bangladesh faces external pressures, requires careful macroeconomic management: World Bank
Maurice Kugler, a professor of public policy at George Mason University, told The Associated Press that the institutions' failure to help the neediest countries "reflects the persistence of a top-down approach in which the World Bank president is a U.S. national appointed by the U.S. president and the IMF managing director is a European Union national appointed by the European Commission."
Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's U.N. director, said there is a lot of frustration with the U.S. and its European allies dominating decision-making, leaving African countries with only "a sliver of voting rights." Developing countries also complain that the bank's lending rules are weighted against them, he said.
"In fairness, the bank has been trying to update its funding procedures to address these concerns, but it has not gone far enough to satisfy countries in the Global South," Gowan said.
Guterres said it's time for the boards of the IMF and the World Bank to right what he called the historic wrongs and "bias and injustice built into the current international financial architecture."
Also Read: Bangladesh receives $858 mln World Bank fund for agriculture growth, road safety
That "architecture" was established when many developing countries were still under colonial rule.
The IMF and what is now known as the World Bank Group were created at a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July 1944 to be key institutions of a postwar international monetary system. The IMF was to monitor exchange rates and lend reserve currencies to countries with balance of payment deficits. The World Bank would provide financial assistance for postwar reconstruction and for building the economies of less developed countries.
Guterres said the institutions haven't kept pace with global growth. He said the World Bank has $22 billion in paid capital, the money used for low-interest loans and grants for government development programs. As a percentage of global GDP, that's less than one-fifth of the 1960 funding level.
At the same time, many developing countries are in a deep financial crisis, exacerbated by inflation, rising interest rates and a standstill in debt relief.
"Some governments are being forced to choose between making debt repayments or defaulting in order to pay public sector workers — possibly ruining their credit rating for years to come," Guterres said, adding that "Africa now spends more on debt service costs than on health care."
The IMF's rules unfairly favor wealthy nations, he said. During the pandemic, the wealthy Group of Seven nations, with a population of 772 million, received the equivalent of $280 billion from the IMF while the least developed countries, with a population of 1.1 billion, were allocated just over $8 billion.
"This was done according to the rules," Guterres said. This is "morally wrong."
He called for major reforms that would strengthen the representation of developing countries on the boards of the IMF and World Bank, help countries restructure debts, change IMF quotas, and revamp the use of IMF funds. He also called for scaling up financing for economic development and tackling the impact of climate change.
IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack, asked about Guterres' proposals at a June 8 news conference, said "I'm not in a position to comment on any of the specifics."
She added that a review of IMF quotas is a priority and is expected to be completed by Dec. 15.
In a written response to a query from the AP, the IMF said it has mounted "an unprecedented" response to the largest-ever request from countries for help dealing with recent shocks.
After the pandemic hit, the IMF approved $306 billion in financing for 96 countries, including below-market rate loans to 57 low-income countries. It also increased interest-free lending fourfold to $24 billion and provided around $964 million in grants to 31 of its most vulnerable nations between April 2020 and 2022 so they could service their debts.
The World Bank Group said in January that its shareholders have initiated a process "to better address the scale of development."
The bank's development committee said in a March report that the bank "must evolve in response to the unprecedented confluence of global crises that has upended development progress and threatens people and the planet."
Guterres' push for reforming the IMF and World Bank comes as the United Nations also faces demands for an overhaul of its structure, which still reflects the post-World War II global order.
Gowan said many U.N. ambassadors think it might be "marginally easier" and more helpful to developing countries to overhaul the IMF and World Bank than to reform the U.N. Security Council, which has been debated for more than 40 years.
While Guterres and U.N. ambassadors talk about reforming the financial institutions, any changes are up to their boards. Gowan noted that when the Obama administration engineered a reform of IMF voting rights in 2010, "Congress took five years to ratify the deal — and Congress is even more divided and dysfunctional now."
"But Western governments are aware that China is an increasingly dominant lender in many developing countries," Gowan said, "so they have an interest in reforming the IMF and World Bank in ways that keep poorer states from relying on Beijing for loans."
Beyond the Paris meeting, the debate over IMF and World Bank reforms will continue in September at a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 in New Delhi, and at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.
U.S. climate chief John Kerry said in an Associated Press interview Wednesday that he will be attending the Paris summit along with IMF and World Bank officials.
"Hopefully, new avenues of finance will be more defined than they have been," he said. "I think it's really important."
Culture of Peace: UN unanimously adopts Bangladesh’s resolution
The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted Bangladesh’s flagship resolution on the ‘Culture of Peace’.
The Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN in New York, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, introduced the resolution at the UNGA on Wednesday.
While introducing the resolution, Ambassador Muhith highlighted the continued relevance of culture of peace in today's world, characterised by complex challenges and boundless opportunities.
"Indeed, it is more urgent today than ever to promote a culture of peace; to prioritize dialogue and rapprochement over violence and confrontation," said Ambassador Muhith
The resolution was first adopted on September 13, 1999, during the first tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
UNGA resolution on Ukraine: Dhaka says ‘constrained to abstain’
Since then, Bangladesh has been facilitating this resolution at the assembly every year and also convening a high-level forum on the culture of peace in the General Assembly.
The last High-Level Forum, which was held on September 6, 2022, focused on the transformative role of culture of peace to ensure justice, equality, and inclusion for advancing peace-building.
This year, the resolution centred on collective efforts to address global risks and challenges with the United Nations playing a central role. It underscored the importance of strengthening preventive diplomacy, dialogue, and healthy debates at all levels.
While reaffirming the invaluable role of women in conflict prevention and resolution, it called for fully equal and meaningful participation of women in such processes. Among others, the resolution stressed the need to address the underlying drivers of violence and conflict and also to promote a culture of peace in the context of ongoing digital transformation.
Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative stated that the resolution of the Culture of Peace has, over time, grown in relevance and evolved into a dominant theme, finding larger footprints and recognition in all major UN discourses.
UNGA Resolution on Ukraine: 32 countries including Bangladesh, India and China abstain
“In the rapidly changing global situation, it has proved to be a useful means to complement UN Charter obligations of maintaining peace in the world,” he added.
This year's resolution has been cosponsored by more than 100 countries, showcasing a broad-based endorsement from a diverse representation of UN member states.
Bangladesh's continued facilitation of this resolution each year stands as a testament to the international community's profound confidence in Bangladesh as a steadfast advocate for global peace.
Bangladesh abstains in UNGA vote calling on Russia to pay reparations
China says PM Hasina's remarks against sanctions reflect a ‘large part of int'l community's mind’
China has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's remarks against US sanctions were "not just the strong position of the Bangladeshi people, but also the mind of a large part of the international community, especially the developing world."
Read: Bangladesh, Denmark launch action plan to strengthen partnership on green transition
"We have noted the recent remarks by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Indeed, while turning a blind eye to its own racial discrimination, gun violence and drug proliferation problems, a certain country has long been interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh and many other developing countries under the pretext of democracy and human rights," said Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin, commenting on sanctions on Bangladesh.
Read: Record 108.4 mln people forcibly displaced by end of 2022: UNHCR
He said Bangladesh and China have been traditionally friendly neighbours.
"We firmly support Bangladesh in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, upholding independent domestic and foreign policies, and pursuing a development path that suits its national realities," said the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson.
Read: Japan provides critical funding to WFP’s lifesaving food assistance for Rohingyas
He said they stand ready to work together with Bangladesh and other countries to oppose all forms of hegemony and power politics, uphold the UN-centred international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
110 million people forcibly displaced as Sudan, Ukraine wars add to world refugee crisis, UN says
Some 110 million people have had to flee their homes because of conflict, persecution, or human rights violations, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. The war in Sudan, which has displaced nearly 2 million people since April, is but the latest in a long list of crises that has led to the record-breaking figure.
"It's quite an indictment on the state of our world," Filippo Grandi, who leads the U.N. refugee agency, told reporters in Geneva ahead of the publication Wednesday of UNHCR's Global Trends Report for 2022.
Also Read: Record 108.4 mln people forcibly displaced by end of 2022: UNHCR
Last year alone, an additional 19 million people were forcibly displaced including more than 11 million who fled Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in what became the fastest and largest displacement of people since World War II.
"We are constantly confronted with emergencies," Grandi said. Last year the agency recorded 35 emergencies, three to four times more than in previous years. "Very few make your headlines," Grandi added, arguing that the war in Sudan fell off most front pages after Western citizens were evacuated.
Also Read: UN agencies warn of starvation risk in Sudan, Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali, call for urgent aid
Conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Myanmar were also responsible for displacing more than 1 million people within each country in 2022.
The majority of the displaced globally have sought refuge within their nation's borders. One-third of them - 35 million - have fled to other countries, making them refugees, according to the UNHCR report. Most refugees are hosted by low to middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, not rich countries in Europe or North America, Grandi said.
Also Read: Sudan military ruler seeks removal of UN envoy in letter to UN chief, who is 'shocked' by the demand
Turkey currently hosts the most refugees with 3.8 million people, mostly Syrians who fled the civil war, followed by Iran with 3.4 million refugees, mostly Afghans. But there are also 5.7 million Ukrainian refugees scattered across countries in Europe and beyond. The number of stateless people has also risen in 2022 to 4.4 million, according to UNHCR data, but this is believed to be an underestimate.
Also Read: Thousands of exhausted South Sudanese head home, fleeing brutal conflict
Regarding asylum claims, the U.S. was the country to receive the most new applications in 2022 with 730,400 claims. It's also the nation with the largest backlog in its asylum system, Grandi said.
"One of the things that needs to be done is reforming that asylum system so that it becomes more rapid, more efficient," he said.
The United States, Spain and Canada recently announced plans to create asylum processing centers in Latin America with the goal of reducing the number of people who trek their way north to the Mexico-U.S. border.
Also Read: UN: Sudan conflict displaces over 1.3 million, including some 320K to neighboring countries
As the number of asylum-seekers grows, so have the challenges facing them. "We see pushbacks. We see tougher and tougher immigration or refugee admission rules. We see in many countries the criminalization of immigrants and refugees, blaming them for everything that has happened," Grandi said.
Also Read: War in Ukraine, disasters left 71mn people internally displaced in 2022: Report
Last week European leaders renewed financial promises to North African nations in the hopes of stemming migration across the Mediterranean while the British government insists on a so-far failed plan to ship asylum-seekers to Rwanda, something UNHCR is opposed to. But there were also some wins, Grandi said, pointing to what he described as a positive sign in the European Union's negotiations for a new migration and asylum pact, despite criticism from human rights groups.
Also Read: Sudan's government declares UN envoy ‘persona non grata’
Grandi also celebrated the fact that the number of refugees resettled in 2022 doubled to 114,000 from the previous year. But he admitted this was "still a drop in the ocean."
No progress in the level of prejudice shown against women in 10 years: UN report
There has been no progress in the level of bias against women over the previous ten years, with nearly nine out of ten men and women still believing such prejudices globally, according to a new UN report released on Monday (June 12, 2023).
UN Development Programme (UNDP) in its most recent Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) says , "Half of people worldwide still believe men make better political leaders than women, and more than 40% believe men make better business executives than women."
Also Read: 9 countries inc. Bangladesh release first national estimates of illicit financial flows with UN support
“Social norms that impair women’s rights are detrimental to society more broadly, dampening the expansion of human development,” said Pedro Conceição, head of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office.
A staggering 25 per cent of people believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife, according to the report, reflecting the latest data from the World Values Survey.
The report said that these biases are to blame for the obstacles women encounter, which have taken the form of the denial of women's rights in many regions of the world, the growth of movements opposing gender equality, and an increase in human rights abuses in some countries.
The stark underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is another example of bias in action. Since 1995, the percentage of women serving as heads of State or governments has generally hovered around 10%, and in the job market, they make up less than one-third of executive posts.
The report also sheds light on a broken link between women’s progress in education and economic empowerment.
Also Read: A child or youth died once every 4.4 seconds in 2021: UN report
Women are more skilled and educated than ever before, yet even in the 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, the average gender income gap remains a 39 per cent in favour of men.
“Lack of progress on gender social norms is unfolding against a human development crisis,” Conceição said, noting that the global Human Development Index (HDI) declined in 2020 for the first time on record and again the following year.
“Everyone stands to gain from ensuring freedom and agency for women,” he added.
The UNDP report emphasized that governments have a crucial role in shifting gender social norms, from adopting parental leave policies, that have changed perceptions around care work responsibilities, to labour market reforms that have led to a change in beliefs around women in the workforce.
“An important place to start is recognizing the economic value of unpaid care work,” said Raquel Lagunas, Director of UNDP’s gender team.
The report emphasized that despite the continued prevalence of bias against women, the data shows change can happen.
Also Read: Rights groups slam severe Taliban restrictions on Afghan women as ‘crime against humanity’
An increase in the share of people with no bias in any indicator was evident in 27 of the 38 countries surveyed. The report authors said that to drive change towards greater gender equality, the focus needs to be on expanding human development through investment, insurance, and innovation.
This includes investing in laws and policy measures that promote women’s equality in political participation, scaling up insurance mechanisms, such as strengthening social protection and care systems, and encouraging innovative interventions that could be particularly effective in challenging harmful social norms, patriarchal attitudes, and gender stereotypes.
For example, combatting online hate speech and gender disinformation can help to shift pervasive gender norms towards greater acceptance and equality, according to the report.
The report recommended directly addressing social norms through education to change people’s views, policies and legal changes that recognize the rights of women in all spheres of life, and more representation in decision-making and political processes.
Read more: 90% of countries see decline in human development
9 countries inc. Bangladesh release first national estimates of illicit financial flows with UN support
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, and Peru have collaborated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to produce the first-ever national estimates on illicit financial flows (IFFs) associated with drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, and smuggling of migrants.
This groundbreaking initiative aims to tackle the global challenge of illicit financial activities.
The official estimate report states, “Drug trafficking is estimated to have generated an annual average of $481 million in outward IFFs between 2017 and 2021. This estimate includes the trafficking in methamphetamine tablets, heroin and synthetic opioids such as buprenorphine and phensidyl.”
Also Read: Bangladesh seeks stronger support from int'l community for Rohingya repatriation
The estimates, which have been made possible with the support of the UNODC, are now available on the UN's Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicators Database.
Additionally, a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has unveiled preliminary findings on tax and commercial IFFs from eleven African nations through an informative infographic.
Reducing IFFs by 2030 stands as a significant priority under the United Nations' SDG 16. This goal seeks to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions. As custodians of SDG indicator 16.4.1, UNCTAD and UNODC work collaboratively to measure the total value of inward and outward IFFs in current US dollars.
Also read: 5 members of human trafficking gang held in Cox’s Bazar
Both organizations have been actively assisting countries in generating transparent, reliable, and internationally comparable statistics on IFFs.
By shedding light on the sectors, activities, and channels that are most susceptible to illicit financial flows, these statistics serve as a crucial tool in identifying priority areas where immediate action is required to combat such illicit activities.
Also Read: UN expert urges Bangladesh to step up efforts to prevent trafficking
UN aid chief says Ukraine faces `hugely worse' humanitarian situation after the dam rupture
The humanitarian situation in Ukraine is “hugely worse” than before the Kakhovka dam collapsed, the U.N.'s top aid official warned Friday.
Undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths said an “extraordinary” 700,000 people are in need of drinking water and warned that the ravages of flooding in one of the world’s most important breadbaskets will almost inevitably lead to lower grain exports, higher food prices around the world, and less to eat for millions in need
“This is a viral problem,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But the truth is this is only the beginning of seeing the consequences of this act.”
The rupture of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and emptying of its reservoir on the Dnieper River on Wednesday added to the misery in a region that has suffered for more than a year from artillery and missile attacks.
Ukraine holds the Dnieper’s western bank, while Russian troops control the low-lying eastern side, which is more vulnerable to flooding. The dam and reservoir, essential for fresh water and irrigation in southern Ukraine, lies in the Kherson region that Moscow illegally annexed in September and has occupied for the past year.
Griffiths said the United Nations, working mainly through Ukrainian aid groups, has reached 30,000 people in flooded areas under Ukrainian control. He said that so far Russia has not given access to areas it controls for the U.N. to help flood victims.
Also read: A dam collapses and thousands face the deluge — often with no help — in Russian-occupied Ukraine
Griffiths said he met with Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, on Wednesday to ask Russian authorities “for access for our teams in Ukraine to go across the front lines to give aid, to provide support for … Ukrainians in those areas.”
“We're providing them with details as we speak, to enable Moscow to meet what we hope will be a positive decision on this,” he said. “I hope that will come through.”
The emergency response is essential to save lives, he said, “but behind that you’ve got a huge, looming problem of a lack of proper drinking water for those 700,000 people” on both the Ukrainian-controlled and Russian-controlled sides of the river.
There is also the flooding of important agricultural land and a looming problem of providing cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which had been supplied from the dam, he added.
In addition, Griffiths noted that waters also have rushed over areas with land mines from the war “and what we are bound to be seeing are those mines floating in places where people don’t expect them,” threatening adults and especially children.
Also read: Drone footage of collapsed dam shows ruined structure, devastation and no sign of life
“So it’s a cascade of problems, starting with allowing people to survive today, and then giving them some kind of prospects for tomorrow,” he said.
Griffiths said that because of the wide-ranging consequences “it’s almost inevitable” that the United Nations will launch a special appeal for more aid funds for Ukraine to deal with “a whole new order of magnitude” from the dam’s rupture. But he said he wants to wait a few weeks to see the economic, health and environmental consequences before announcing the appeal.
Griffiths said he and U.N. trade chief Rebeca Grynspan are also working to ensure the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Turkey and the U.N. brokered with Ukraine and Russia last July to open three Black Sea ports in Ukraine for its grain exports.
More than 30,000 metric tons of wheat and other foodstuff has been shipped under the deal, leading to a decline in global food prices that skyrocketed after Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. It has been extended three times and is due to expire July 17.
Also read: Ukrainian dam breach: What is happening and what's at stake
Part of the deal was a memorandum signed by Russia and the U.N. aimed at overcoming obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer shipments that Moscow has repeatedly complained are not being fulfilled.
A key Russian demand has been the reopening of a pipeline between the Russian port of Togliatti on the Volga River and the Black Sea port of Odesa that has been shut down since Russia’s attack on Ukraine. It carried ammonia, a key ingredient of fertilizer.
“Opening that pipeline and delivering ammonia across the Black Sea to the global south is a priority for all of us,” Griffiths said. “Ammonia is an essential ingredient for global food security.”
A rupture in the pipeline was reported from shelling late Tuesday, but Griffiths said the U.N. couldn’t confirm it because the pipeline is in the middle of a war zone.
“We, of course, are very, very strongly of the view that we need that repaired as quickly as possible,” he said. “So let’s hope it’s not too badly damaged.” He said the Ukrainians have told the U.N. they will get to the pipeline, which is on their territory, “as soon as they can.”
Griffiths said the Ukrainians see opening the pipeline as part of a package that would also include Russian agreement to open a fourth Black Sea port at Mykolaiv to export more grain.
Negotiations have been taking place in recent weeks, including at a meeting Friday in Geneva between U.N. trade chief Grynspan and Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin.
“We're not there yet,” Griffiths said. “I hope that we'll make it.”
Bangladesh must suspend pilot project to return Rohingyas to Myanmar: UN expert
Bangladesh must immediately suspend a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar, where they "face serious risks" to their lives and liberty, a UN expert said on Thursday (June 8, 2023).
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said there were reports that Bangladeshi authorities were using “deceptive and coercive measures” to compel Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar.
Also read: Rohingyas wanting to return to Myanmar should have access to clear info: UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
“Conditions in Myanmar are anything but conducive for the safe, dignified, sustainable, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees,” Andrews said.
“Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who commanded the forces that launched the genocidal attacks against the Rohingya, now leads a brutal military junta that is attacking civilian populations while denying the Rohingya citizenship and other basic rights,” he said.
Bangladesh officials have stated that an initial group of 1,140 Rohingya refugees will be repatriated to Myanmar at an unspecified date and 6,000 will be returned by the end of the year. Actions by Bangladesh authorities suggest that the first return could be imminent.
Aslo read: Myanmar team arrives in Cox's Bazar to verify list of Rohingya for repatriation
“There are also reports of refugees being promised large sums of money, if they agree to return. These promises are allegedly being made even as food rations are being cut to $.27 per person per day for those in the Bangladesh camps. It remains unclear where the funds for repatriated families will come from,” Andrews said.
Under the pilot project, Rohingya refugees will not be allowed to return to their own villages, many of which were razed to the ground during the genocidal attacks of 2017. The refugees would pass through “reception” and “transit” centers in Maungdaw township, after which they would be moved to a designated area of 15 newly constructed “villages” – places they would not be allowed to leave freely.
In March, Bangladesh authorities facilitated two visits by Myanmar junta authorities (SAC) to the Bangladesh camps.
Also read: Dhaka seeks global support in pilot Rohingya repatriation project
Bangladesh and SAC officials also coordinated a “go and see” visit to Rakhine State for some Rohingya refugees. Bangladeshi officials said the refugees had expressed “general satisfaction” with arrangements made for their return, but these assurances were contradicted by reports that those who participated in the trip had unequivocally rejected the repatriation plans.
Ukraine brands Russia ‘terrorist state’ to open hearings in case against Russia at top UN court
A top Ukrainian diplomat called Russia a "terrorist state" Tuesday as he opened his country's case against Moscow at the United Nations' highest court and accused Russia of blowing up a major dam in southern Ukraine.
Anton Korynevych was addressing judges at the International Court of Justice in a case brought by Kyiv against Russia linked to Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea and arming of rebels in eastern Ukraine in the years before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine wants the world court to order Moscow to pay reparations for attacks in the regions, including for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down by Russia-backed rebels on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew.
ALso Read: Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying major dam near Kherson, warns of ecological disaster
Korynevych said that with Moscow unable to beat Ukraine on the battlefield, "it targets civilian infrastructure to try to freeze us into submission. Earlier today, just today, … Russia blew up a major dam located in Nova Kakhovka, causing significant civilians evacuations, harsh ecological damages and threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia's actions are the actions of a terrorist state, an aggressor."
Four days of hearings in the court's ornate, wood-paneled Great Hall of Justice are opening against a backdrop of Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. Ukraine and Russia are trading accusations of blame for the damage to the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which are located in a part of Ukraine that Moscow controls.
Meanwhile, in The Hague, lawyers for Kyiv were presenting legal arguments to support their case Tuesday, followed by Russia on Thursday. Each side has another opportunity next week to present evidence. Judges are expected to take months to issue a judgment.
"The Russian Federation has contempt for international law," Korynevych said. "Over the last 16 months, the world has woken up to this dark reality."
The case is one of several legal proceedings against Russia linked to Ukraine.
Also Read: Russia launched 'largest drone attack' on Ukrainian capital before Kyiv Day; 1 killed
In a separate case brought by Ukraine in the immediate aftermath of Russia's illegal invasion, the world court issued a preliminary order calling on Russia to stop hostilities — a legally binding ruling that Moscow ignored.
In that case, Kyiv is arguing that Russia violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by falsely accusing Ukraine of committing genocide and using that as a pretext for the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. Moscow argues that the court does not have jurisdiction.
A few kilometers (miles) away at the International Criminal Court, judges have issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of deporting and illegally transferring children from Ukraine. Russia is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, a Dutch domestic court last year convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian for their roles in downing MH17 and sentenced them in their absence to life imprisonment. Ukraine also has another case against Russia at the International Court of Justice over its invasion last year, and the Netherlands and Ukraine are suing Moscow at the European Court of Human Rights over MH17.
Also Read: Russia says drones damage Moscow buildings in pre-dawn attack, blames Ukraine
Russia has always denied involvement in the downing of the passenger jet that was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Soviet-era missile over eastern Ukraine.
Tuesday's hearing is in a case Kyiv brought in 2017 related to Russia arming rebels in eastern Ukraine and restricting the rights of ethnic Tatars and other minorities following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
In a preliminary ruling, the court ordered Russia to stop limiting "the ability of the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions."