Dhaka wants donor status at UNHCR

Bangladesh will seek donor status at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which would enable Bangladesh to be part of the decision-making process regarding refugee issues across the globe.
The decision to seek donor status has already been made in principle during a recent inter-ministerial meeting at the foreign ministry with officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, home and food and disaster management participating.
"We have forwarded the proposal to the finance ministry because there is an issue of financial involvement," a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star yesterday.
The decision to seek donor status was made following a proposal from Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to United Nations in Geneva Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya.
"We can participate in all the UNHCR meetings, which its donors attend, and make our contribution to decisions," the official said, adding, "We are interested to get donor status because there are around 25,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh for over the last one decade."
Asked about the amount of money Bangladesh needs to donate to UNHCR to enjoy the donor status, the official said this was actually a token donation. There are many countries that donate $2,000 or more yearly, he said. "We shall also donate a minimum amount."
On how Bangladesh's national interest regarding the Rohingya issue will be ensued when it gets the donor status, the official said Bangladesh can discuss in details its views and problems with the UN agency and its other donors regarding the issue.
"We cannot force repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, but can surely have amicable solutions of problems centring it," he said.