Rights Groups Urge UN to Center Rohingya Voices in Upcoming Conference

Arakan Now | 22 August 2025

More than 50 human rights organizations, including Fortify Rights, have issued a joint statement ahead of the High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar, scheduled for September 30, 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The groups emphasized that Rohingya voices must be at the forefront of all discussions about their future. They urged the UN and member states to ensure the conference is inclusive, survivor-centered, and focused on accountability and durable solutions, including restored citizenship and protection of fundamental rights.

The statement also marks eight years since the Myanmar military’s 2017 atrocities in Rakhine State, which forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Despite ongoing investigations at the ICC and ICJ, impunity remains, and Rohingya continue to face grave risks both in Myanmar and in refugee camps.

“Rohingya community members must be at the forefront of discussions about their future,” the joint statement said.

The organizations called on the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court and urged all states hosting Rohingya refugees to uphold their rights — including access to education and livelihoods — and to protect them from forced returns.

Source: Fortify Rights – Joint Statement, August 22, 2025