New York – 30 September 2025,
The Rohingya Centre UK (RCUK) welcomes the convening of the United Nations High-Level Conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. We commend the engagement of over 70 countries, international agencies, and civil society organisations, and extend our appreciation to the people and the leadership of Bangladesh, the Honourable Chief Adviser, Professor Mohammed Yunus for hosting Rohingya refugees.
We also welcome the renewed humanitarian commitments announced by the United Kingdom, the United States, and other UN member states during the conference. This support remains essential to sustaining the lives of more than 1.2 million Rohingya in Bangladesh, who continue to face worsening restrictions, shrinking aid, insecurity, and a pervasive climate of fear. Yet, while humanitarian assistance is indispensable, it cannot substitute for justice, dignity, and durable solutions.
As many underlined, the resolution of the Rohingya crisis must be found within Myanmar. This requires the establishment of safe and protected areas in Arakan (Rakhine State), with robust international monitoring, to create the conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees. It also demands an immediate end to impunity, genuine accountability for atrocities, and the full inclusion of the Rohingya as equal citizens with guaranteed rights and protections.
Lasting peace and stability in Myanmar depend on a sustainable resolution rooted in trust-building, inclusivity, and the protection of fundamental rights for all communities.
At the conference, Rohingya youth voice Maung Sawyedullah, now a student at New York University, delivered a powerful testimony: “Without self-determination for the Rohingya and international protection in Arakan, there can be no lasting peace. Any initiative about the Rohingya that excludes Rohingya refugees themselves from decision-making to nation-building—is unsustainable and unjust. We are not just victims; we have the potential to make a difference.”
His words reflect a wider truth: education is not a privilege but a necessity for Rohingya survival, resilience, and empowerment. It echoes the aspirations of countless Rohingya children and youth striving to learn, develop skills, and build self-reliance and seeking to become part of the solution rather than remain perpetually dependent on aid.
In response to this urgent need, RCUK has introduced the Rohingya Education Board, a comprehensive Rohingya-led system designed to deliver meaningful, high-quality, and internationally accredited education for Rohingya children and youth. It will also create pathways to higher learning, foster leadership, and strengthen resilience within the community. During 7–17 September 2025, an RCUK delegation representing the UK, US, Germany, and the Netherlands visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Engaging directly with community members, teachers, students, and youth, the delegation found overwhelming support for this initiative as a vital step toward restoring hope and opportunity.
As Ian Murch, Campaigns and Advocacy Director of RCUK, stated: “We deeply appreciate the UK’s £27 million funding for food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services for half a million Rohingya refugees. Yet, what remains critically missing is education. The United Kingdom has the opportunity to support this initiative at a relatively small cost—an investment that would transform the future for an entire people.”
We therefore call upon Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and other UN member states to support and fund Rohingya-led initiatives such as the Education Board that are sustainable, cost-effective, and community-driven. We also urge Bangladesh to enact meaningful policy reforms to enable education and livelihood opportunities, and call on international aid organisations to enhance efficiency and accountability in the delivery of resources.
The path forward requires more than simply keeping the Rohingya people alive. It requires empowering them to live with dignity, to participate fully in society, and to contribute to a future of peace and stability in Myanmar.
The Rohingya Centre UK reaffirms its readiness to work with UN member states, international partners, and our Rohingya community worldwide to advance a collective vision of justice, dignity, and durable solutions for all.
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About RCUK
The Rohingya Centre UK (RCUK) is a Rohingya-led organisation developing sustainable, community-driven solutions to the Rohingya crisis. Based in the United Kingdom, RCUK connects grassroots knowledge with international action to enable Rohingya communities to live with dignity, rights, and opportunity.
Follow: @WeAreRCUK | Learn more: www.rcuk.org.uk