“The Permanent solution of Myanmar crisis can protect the forcibly displaced Rohingya people from being the potential victims of human trafficking – Ambassador Masud Bin Momen at the Security Council.

UsaNewsOnline.Com, New York : “The Permanent solution of Myanmar crisis can protect the forcibly displaced Rohingya people from being the potential victims of human trafficking” –said Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, 21 November, at the Open Ministerial Debate on Trafficking in Persons in Conflict Situation at the Security Council. Mentioning the grave humanitarian situation of the Rohingya, harrowing reports of torture, killing and exploitation of victims and loss of hundreds of lives on rickety boats adrift at sea, the Ambassador said, “This has only created a fertile ground for traffickers and organized criminal networks to operate with near impunity”. Ambassador Masud expressed his deep concern over the possibility of the large number of women and children among them falling prey to traffickers and people’s smugglers operating regionally.

The Permanent Representative mentioned that the law enforcement and border management authorities of Bangladesh have mobilized enhanced resources in order to maintain vigil against traffickers and other organized criminal networks.The UN Secretary General Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN office on Drugs and Crime; Ms Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children; Smail Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union also delivered their statements at the event. They mentioned that trafficking in person in conflict situations perhaps constitutes the greatest human right issue of this time.

Ambassador Masud reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to join hands with fellow Member States in further strengthening the UN’s coordinated response and action against trafficking in persons, slavery and forced labour.