VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews.id, Jakarta: Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, said that current conflicts in the world have caused a large surge in refugees. Therefore, according to her, wars and conflicts, which are the problem's roots, must be resolved immediately.

“…The world is not okay right now. The world is facing a huge surge in refugees and one of the causes is war and conflict occurring in various parts of the world. Therefore, we have to solve the root of the problem," said Retno while attending the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva, Switzerland, quoted in a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was accessed in Jakarta on Thursday (14/12/2023).

In the forum which took place Wednesday-Friday (13-15/12/2023), Retno said Indonesia's presence in this forum was 'very important'. This year's Global Refugee Forum discussed the follow-up to the world's commitment since 2019 in dealing with refugees, as well as other issues. This, according to Retno, is relevant to Indonesia's conditions, where Indonesia is facing the rise of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

"This forum was held to see the progress of the commitments of the state and other stakeholders which were conveyed in 2019. Then, discussing issues related to the refugee problem, including burden-responsibility sharing; as well as discussing the responses that need to be carried out comprehensively," she said.

The minister reminded that all parties are obliged to stop war and conflict and respect international law. In the case of Rohingya refugees, Retno invited the international community to work together to stop the conflict and restore democracy in Myanmar. In this way, it is hoped that Rohingya refugees can return to their homes.

Apart from that, Retno also reminded that there were indications that refugees were victims of criminal acts of human trafficking. According to her, this situation adds to the complexity and difficulty of dealing with refugee issues, including refugees in Indonesia. Therefore, Retno said that Indonesia would fight trafficking and people smuggling, with the cooperation of the international community.

“…Indonesia will not hesitate to fight the criminal act of human trafficking, which is a transnational crime. However, Indonesia cannot do it alone. Close cooperation is needed, both regionally and internationally, to combat the act," she continued.

In front of more than 140 countries, Retno emphasized strengthening cooperation with related organizations to handle refugees. Retno also emphasized that countries that have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention should immediately provide resettlement places for refugees. So far, according to her, the resettlement process has not gone quickly.

“I can say that the resettlement process has been going very slowly lately. "Many party countries even closed their doors to refugees," she said.