Indonesia Foreign Minister Reminds the Obligations of States Parties to the Refugee Convention

Geneva, MINA – Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi attended the 2023 Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday. On this occasion, he reminded the obligations of countries party to the Refugee Convention.

Countries that ratified the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Refugee Protocol include Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada.

“I convey that the resettlement process has recently been progressing very slowly. Many party countries have even closed their doors to refugees,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs in a video press conference on Thursday.

In Indonesia itself, said Retno, recently there has been a challenge of the influx of Rohingya refugees.

Apart from that, Retno also reminded that there were strong indications that refugees had become victims of criminal acts of trafficking and human smuggling or TIP, including thousands of refugees who came to Indonesia.

“The existence of TIP adds to the complexity and difficulty of handling the refugee issue. I explained that Indonesia will not hesitate to fight TIP, which is a transnational crime,” she stressed.

However, continued Retno, Indonesia cannot do it alone. Close cooperation is needed, both regionally and internationally, to combat TIP.

“I also emphasize the importance of strengthening cooperation with UNODC, UNHCR and also IOM in handling this problem,” she said. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)