Seventy-ninth Session,
62nd Meeting (AM)
GA/12679
(excerpts)
High-Level Meeting on Rohingyas in Myanmar
The Assembly also adopted, by a recorded vote of 141 in favour to 0 against, with 10 abstentions, a resolution on “Scope, modalities, format and organization of the High-level conference on Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar” (document A/79/L.67).
By its terms, the Assembly decided to hold the High-level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar, in New York on 30 September 2025. The text also detailed the organizational arrangements of the Conference, including the opening segment which will feature statements by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary-General, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other relevant stakeholder representatives.
Prior to its adoption, three amendments proposed by the Russian Federation’s delegate were rejected in recorded votes.
Draft amendment L.68 (document A/79/L.68) — which would have deleted references to human rights issues and efforts to create a conducive environment for the voluntary, safe, sustainable and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims — was rejected by a recorded vote of 7 in favour (Belarus, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nicaragua, Russian Federation) to 103 against, with 24 abstentions.
Draft amendment “L.69” (document A/79/L.69) — which would have blocked the participation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the conference — was not adopted by a recorded vote of seven in favour (Belarus, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Nicaragua, Russian Federation) to 96 against, with 32 abstentions.
Draft amendment “L.70” (document A/79/L.70) — which would have retained the power of a Member State to block the participation of certain civil society actors — was also not adopted by a recorded vote of 14 in favour to 80 against, with 40 abstentions.
Introducing them, the Russian Federation’s speaker said the goal of this resolution should have been determining modalities for the high-level conference. However, it has gone far beyond these goals and essentially has transformed into a country-specific resolution on human rights, he said.
However, Myanmar’s delegate said the Rohingya issue must be comprehensively addressed. “The world has witnessed the crimes and atrocities the military junta has committed,” both on the Rohingya population and other minorities. Repatriation of the refugees will not be possible “if we are unable to put an end to the military junta committing indiscriminate airstrikes and aerial bombings”, he warned.
Bangladesh’s delegate said that his country would like the Rohingyas to return to their own country. The problem originated in Myanmar and the solution lies there as well, he said, calling for a timebound plan for the repatriation of the large number of refugees.
The delegate from Belarus, however, criticized the initial resolution for being drafted behind closed doors, with only two rounds of “clearly insufficient” open consultations. The document is another attempt to establish a tribunal against Myanmar, he said. China's representative, who abstained from voting on the initial text, also expressed concerns about the draft text's excessive focus on human rights in Myanmar.