She made a statement during a high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York regarding the rehabilitation of refugees and migrants. She emphasized the importance of securing the rights of refugees and migrants in all circumstances, regardless of their status, and highlighted the need to protect and promote their rights for global harmony. She praised UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for organizing the first-ever Summit on Refugees and Migrants, and urged countries to come to a general agreement on universal principles such as mutual trust, respect, shared responsibility, and inclusiveness to address the refugee crisis. The summit also saw the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants by delegations from around the world. The text outlines a series of bold commitments aimed at addressing current issues and preparing for future challenges, including initiating negotiations for an international conference and the adoption of a global compact for safe and orderly migration in 2018. These commitments include protecting the human rights of all refugees and migrants, ensuring education for refugee and migrant children, preventing and responding to gender-based violence, supporting countries hosting large numbers of refugees, ending the detention of children for migration status determination, finding new homes for refugees in need of resettlement, and strengthening global governance of migration by incorporating the International Organization for Migration into the UN system. Sheikh Hasina emphasized the importance of seizing the historic opportunity to develop a robust, ambitious, and action-oriented plan for handling refugee movements within a broader development context. Migration should be seen as a reality and a means of enhancing freedom for the greater good, with the proposal of a Global Compact on Migration building on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She stated that the proposed migration compact should include ambitious and enforceable elements while also being balanced and flexible. She emphasized the importance of promoting tolerance and understanding to accommodate migrants and refugees. Hasina also noted the need to consider protecting those displaced by climate change in the compact. As the current Chair of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, Bangladesh is willing to contribute to the agreement's development. Prior to addressing the plenary session, the prime minister met with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung Saan Suu Kyi. Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Janet Scotland also visited her at the UN headquarters.