The Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs participated in the Donor Conference on Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response. The Meeting highlighted Thailand-ASEAN support on humanitarian assistance and sustainable development for the Rohingyas.

On 22 October 2020, His Excellency Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, participated in the virtual Donor Conference on “Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response”, which was co-hosted by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to raise humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas. A total of 56 high-level representatives from various countries and international organisations participated in the Conference, which successfully raised approximately USD 600 million in pledges for the cause.

Thailand was invited to deliver a statement to reflect the perspectives of countries in the region. The Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs underlined the importance of international cooperation to address the issue of the Rohingyas, while underscoring the principle of international responsibility sharing for the international community in finding durable solutions to the situation.  In this regard, Thailand has played a supporting role both in the bilateral context, through humanitarian assistance and sustainable development programmes for Myanmar and Bangladesh through South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and in the multilateral context, through ASEAN. At the Joint Closing Announcement session of the conference, the Co-Hosts stressed the continued need for humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas, while also reiterating the need to create a conducive environment for the Rohingyas to return in a safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable manner.

Since the large influx of Rohingya irregular migrants in 2017, Thailand has contributed to the humanitarian cause for these displaced persons as well as development projects in Rakhine State. Thailand’s total contribution now amounts to USD 4,064,081.