Since August 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, many reporting killings, rape and arson on a large scale, UN and other aid organisations have said.
"Since the conditions are not conducive for voluntary return yet, the MoU (memorandum of understanding) is the first and necessary step to support the government's efforts to change that situation," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.
Myanmar's government said in a brief statement late on Thursday the MoU would be signed "soon" and UN agencies would "support access to livelihoods through the design and implementation of community-based interventions".
Myanmar civilian government spokesman Zaw Htay said he had nothing to add to the statement.
Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides persist, impeding implementation of the plan.
