Rakhine Settlement Support Programme (Rassp)

The Rakhine Advisory Commission (RAC) report of August 201716   was prepared at the request of the Government of Myanmar (GoM) setting out 88 recommendations for conflict resolution and development for Rakhine State. Although it was published prior to the onset of widespread exodus, it is still considered to be the only roadmap for the integration of communities in Rakhine. In September 2017, the GoM expressed support for comprehensive resettlement and territorial development planning for Rakhine State and requested the assistance of UN-Habitat - even as more people continued to flee across the border. UN-Habitat advised the GoM to adhere to relevant international guidelines such as the Pinheiro Principles17  and the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning18 . An agreement signed on 23rd November 2017 by the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar called for the safe, secure and voluntary return of refugees who can establish their connection with Myanmar. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) support to protection and assistance for returnees is stipulated in the agreement. This agreement also established a Joint Working Group (JWG) to implement the arrangement on return of displaced persons from Rakhine State. The agreement complimented the Kofi Annan report. In March 2018, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and UNHCR were invited to engage with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on the issue of repatriation. The United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC) has worked with representatives from all coordination groups (Cooperation Partner Group, CPG; Peace Support Group, PSG; Humanitarian Country Team, HCT; United Nations Country Team, UNCT; INGO Forum, etc.) to draft the Strategic Framework for International Engagement in Rakhine. This framework brought together international humanitarian, development and peace building efforts in Rakhine State. It defines a path for engagement based on a common set of principles on how international partners can work to realize fair, equitable and sustainable development in Rakhine.  [16]  Towards a peaceful, fair and prosperous future for the people of Rakhine, Final report of the advisory commission on Rakhine State, August 2017[17]  It outlines the rights of refugees and displaced persons to return not only to their countries when they see fit to do so, but to their original homes and lands as well. The Pinheiro Principles are the culmination of more than a decade of international and local activities in support of the emerging right to housing and property restitution as a core remedy to displacement.[18]  The International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning serve both as a source of inspiration and a compass for decision makers and urban professionals when reviewing urban and territorial planning systems. The Guidelines provide national governments, local authorities, civil society organizations and planning professionals with a global reference framework that promotes more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories that foster sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change