The organizations made the plea through a joint statement released on Wednesday. They called on states in the region to uphold the commitments of the 2016 Bali Declaration as well as ASEAN pledges to protect the most vulnerable and to leave no one behind. We recognize that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, States have erected border management measures to manage risks to public health. The UN bodies also called on states in the region that are not directly impacted to offer support to those states that do proceed with rescue and disembarkation. “In the longer term, a sustainable and comprehensive response to the movement of refugees and migrants cannot be achieved without concerted international cooperation,” the statement added.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 06, 2020 08:37 UTC