Oral update on the involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar (res. 43/26)
Nordic-Baltic statement delivered by Denmark
12 March 2021
I have the honor of delivering this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.
We welcome the update on the UN involvement in Myanmar and the leadership of the Secretary-General on the process of implementing the recommendations of the Rosenthal report. The Rosenthal report, as previous reports commissioned by the Secretary-General, is central to independently reviewing UN system response to the crisis in Myanmar.
We strongly support the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, which builds on the follow-up to the Rosenthal report, and aims to create an organizational culture which emphasizes prevention, protection and human rights. The Call to Action reminds us that human rights are the responsibility of every UN actor, at every level, every day.
We strongly condemn the recent coup in Myanmar. It is a severe violation of democratic principles and the rule of law. The situation has exacerbated insecurity for the Rohingya and other minorities. The military must immediately stop all excessive use of force against peaceful protestors resulting in injuries, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and killings, which are all serious human rights violations. The military must be held accountable for their actions, uphold its human rights obligations, release political leaders and civil society activists arbitrarily arrested, and restore the elected civilian government.
Especially at times like this, coordinated UN action is key. The UN must be fully equipped to respond to and effectively monitor the situation, and Member States must support and enable the UN to carry out its mandates.
How can the UN presence in Myanmar best contribute to the protection of human rights in the current situation?
Thank you.