A Bangladesh Compact: Beyond Aid Solutions for Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities

Key Takeaways

• Bangladesh is providing an immense global public good, hosting more than 688,000 Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar since August 2017.
• The international community should come together to make aid and beyond-aid commitments that deliver sustainable benefits for refugees and hosts. Deploying a refugee compact model that combines these contributions with policy reforms that enable refugee dignity and self-reliance is a promising path forward.
• The Jordan Compact offers important lessons on the necessity of diverse stakeholder engagement, strong data and evidence, pragmatic policy discussions, and delivering sustainable solutions for refugees and hosts alike.
• The level of ambition needed for a Bangladesh Compact requires looking not just at new financing but also beyond-aid contributions such as trade concessions and increased labor mobility.