NEW YORK: The contact group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), led by Saudi Arabia, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at his office at the UN’s New York headquarters to discuss the latest developments related to the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority community in Myanmar.
The group included representatives from Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and the OIC Observer Mission to the UN.
The Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, lauded the efforts of Guterres to support the legitimate rights of the Rohingya, highlighting the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision demanding the government of Myanmar honor its obligations to provide protection to the group.
“The ICJ decision was the result of the efforts exerted by the OIC members states in New York and the Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar headed by the Kingdom,” he said.
“Their efforts culminated in the adoption of the General Assembly resolution titled ‘Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar,’ which was proposed by the Kingdom to protect the Rohingya people and grant them full citizenship rights. This decision was used by Gambia to bring the case to the ICJ.”
Al-Mouallimi stressed the importance of exerting additional international efforts in light of the ICJ’s decision to pressure the government of Myanmar and prevent it from continuing violations, hoping that Guterres would continue to urge the Security Council to take practical steps to alleviate the Rohingya people’s suffering.
Guterres welcomed the ICJ decision and described it as a historical moment that the government of Myanmar should respect.
“There is a consensus regarding the Rohingya issue and the violations and displacement they are facing. I will continue to bring this issue up before the Security Council,” he said.
Saudi envoy to UN stresses need to exert additional international efforts to prevent Myanmar from continuing violations
