Security Council plans to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh and Iraq

The U.N. Security Council has been given green lights for visits this month to Myanmar and Bangladesh, where it expects to focus on the beleaguered Rohingya Muslim minority, as well as to Iraq.

Peru’s U.N. Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra is the council president for April. He told reporters Monday that details and timing of the separate visits are being worked out.

He said council members hope to visit Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where about 700,000 Rohingyas lived before fleeing to Bangladesh to escape a brutal military counterinsurgency campaign — and thousands still remain.

Meza-Cuadra said Iraq needs international support “for rebuilding the country and to ensure reconciliation” following “significant progress” in fighting terrorism, including the Islamic State extremist group. He also noted that Iraqi elections are scheduled in May.