Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the High-level Conference on the
Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar
30 September 2025
[As Delivered]
Houses, burned.
Neighbours, killed.
Hope, vanishing.
Over the past 8 years millions of Rohingya have been violently displaced from what they once knew as home.
They fled with children on their backs, with nothing but the money in their pockets.
On foot or by boat for days, weeks, at a time.
Many have been living in refugee camps since the start of the crisis, with boys and girls spending their whole childhood in tattered tents.
Clinging to even the smallest fragment of hope for a better future.
Excellencies,
Dear representatives of the Rohingya community here with us today,
Over 5 million Rohingya men, women, and children share some version of this story, whether as refugees in neighbouring countries, or internally displaced within Myanmar.
5 million.
And the deteriorating political, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Myanmar is fuelling more displacement.
Armed conflict, violence against civilians, and targeted persecution of Rohingya people is increasing.
Rohingya Muslims remain largely segregated and discriminated against with respect to enjoying their human rights and fundamental freedoms in Myanmar.
Such situations have restricted the Rohingya’s freedom of movement, including the status of their identity and nationality.
8 years since their forced mass displacement from Rakhine State, the over 3.5 million Rohingya inside Myanmar are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
And continued violence has forced more Rohingya Muslims to flee, including into Bangladesh, which is already hosting over 1.1 million refugees from Myanmar.
This generous nation has opened its doors to those who need it most, but it cannot shoulder this burden indefinitely.
The situation in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp, is dire.
- Humanitarian assistance remains inadequate.
- Refugees often receive only one meal a day.
- Health services are extremely reduced.
Even access to water is scarce—as one young refugee shared, “If water is life, then life here is on hold— because it doesn’t flow where it should.”
In 2024, insufficient funding left more than 800,000 children without education, increasing girls’ risks of child marriage, child labor, and sexual exploitation.
As schools remain shuttered and assistance is merely a trickle, families are left to resort to desperate measures.
As one Rohingya mother shared about her recently married 16-year old daughter, “I was afraid. Marriage was the only option. I just pray her husband lets her study.”
Even against this stark context, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Myanmar in 2025 is only 12 percent funded as of September, with $140 million US dollars received out of the required 1.14 billion.
Drastic cuts in international funding means essential services, from education to food to healthcare, are being cut when they’re needed most.
An estimated 1.1 million survivors of gender-based violence were left without critical support.
This should put us to shame.
This desperation is entirely preventable.
As the Secretary-General stated during his recent visit, “Cox’s Bazar is Ground Zero for the impact of budget cuts.”
Excellencies,
Bangladesh cannot bear this responsibility alone.
We have to do more on funding. Everybody should ask themselves: 12% out of the need, we have to do something.
In this regard I would also welcome the important role played by ASEAN, as well as the Special Envoy on Myanmar, in facilitating constructive dialogue among all stakeholders, enabling humanitarian aid deliveries, and ending violence.
Only through inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of this situation and to work towards a political solution, will we be able to create the conditions for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return and reintegration of Rohingya Muslims and other members of minority groups to Myanmar.
But as we will hear later today, unfortunately we are quite far away from this goal, as the situation on the ground remains challenging.
And therefore we cannot close our eyes to the situation at Cox’s Bazar and the need for humanitarian assistance. The need to bring 800,000 children back to school.
While I wish to reiterate and stress the urgent need for strengthened international solidarity and increased support, this must be in parallel to efforts toward a comprehensive political solution that meaningfully includes the Rohingya and addresses their displacement and the root causes of the protracted crisis.
Today is an important opportunity to listen to the voices of stakeholders, including civil society representatives who will share their perspectives and experiences of the situation on the ground, as well as in the refugee camps.
Rohingya need the support of the international community, not just in words but in action.
In this regard, today I call on Member States to advance four key priorities:
- To facilitate safe, unhindered, and full access to humanitarian aid and assistance to all Rohingya and all minorities;
- To support sustained international engagement in Myanmar including efforts led by the region and the Special Envoy on Myanmar;
- To ensure adequate, predictable, and sustained financing for humanitarian aid to meet the needs and demands on the ground;
- And to discuss how to move forward with concrete steps create a conducive environment for the voluntary, safe, sustainable and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims and other members of minority groups to Myanmar and reintegrate them into a place they once called home.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Rohingya men, women, and children have not chosen to live in refugee camps.
What they desire more than anything is to return to their homes, their neighbourhoods, their schools, their lives.
To live in peace and dignity. Like all of us.
As I said in my opening of the 80th General Debate, “This Hall was not built for the easy times, it was built to come together to confront the hardest topics.”
So today, we face again a choice.
To continue business as usual with lofty promises and commitments,
Or to act with the urgency this crisis demands.
The Rohingya people have survived eight years.
Children have lived their whole life not at home.
They have survived eight years of hardship, displacement, and uncertainty.
Their resilience is extraordinary.
Our response must match it.
I thank you.