"The Story So Far There are more than 1 million Rohingya refugees living in the Asia and Pacific region. Most live in Bangladesh, home to the world’s largest and most densely populated refugee settlement. Amidst the pressures of competing global crises and dwindling humanitarian resources, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, have continued to generously host Rohingya refugees. In the absence of a regional response mechanism, Malaysia hosts over 150,000 asylum-seekers and refugees — the vast majority of whom are Rohingya, and Indonesia has stepped in to disembark 10 boatloads of 1,137 Rohingya refugees since December 2021. New initiatives to create third country solutions for Rohingya hosted in the region are being developed. Opportunities to support Rohingya refugees in achieving greater self-reliance and resilience and prepare them for sustainable reintegration when they return home, are being implemented with an incremental expansion of education, portable skills development and livelihoods activities. A Paradigm Shift is Needed These initiatives must be scaled up. With limited opportunities to develop self-reliance and lacking prospects for sustainable solutions, Rohingya refugees are risking their lives in search of solutions. In 2022, the region witnessed a 360 per cent increase in maritime movements compared to the previous year. A paradigm shift is however needed, in collaboration with Rohingya communities, to transform the Rohingya response into comprehensive and coordinated action towards achieving sustainable solutions and resilience. The Multi-Stakeholder Pledge While the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019 resulted in over 1,400 pledges, only 7 per cent targeted Asia Pacific. Pledges were not only financial. They also included technical support and policy commitments. The second Global Refugee Forum will be held in Geneva, in December 2023. It is a unique opportunity to put a spotlight on the situation of Rohingya refugees, the imperative to work towards solutions, and sustain the support offered by host countries in the region. At the forum, stakeholders can demonstrate their commitment in support of a multiactor pledge that expands solutions and enhances collective resilience, including through climate action, and as such contributing to peaceful coexistence. Key elements of this pledge will also contribute to the protection of Rohingya refugees along the SouthEast Asia onward movement route. Recognizing each context within the region has its own specificities, the pledge does not envisage a one-size-fits-all approach. By combining collective strengths and expertise, this multi-stakeholder pledge has the potential to be truly transformational. Beyond the region, offers of resettlement and complementary pathways are an integral element of an expanding package of solutions, notably for the most vulnerable refugees and for those with no prospect of future return to Myanmar. An increasing number of States in and beyond the region are willing to offer resettlement or complementary pathways through access to higher education opportunities, labour mobility, family reunification and private or community sponsorship; the latter also includes Rohingya diaspora. A sample of commitments: • Implementation of 300 quick impact projects in Rakhine State to support the creation of conditions conducive for return. • 25,000 Rohingya submitted for resettlement consideration each year and 15 pilots initiated to expand complementary pathways. • Civil registration and legal identity documentation provided in support of solutions. • Predictable and sustained funding for the humanitarian response. • Ensuring access to quality education for all Rohingya students in Rakhine and countries of asylum. • Building refugee resilience so that one refugee in every household is engaged in selfreliance activities, notably skills development, community work and livelihood opportunities. • Strengthening partnerships with Rohingya-led organizations (RLOs). • Improving climate resilience through naturebased solutions and eco-disaster risk reduction..."