{"id":2962,"date":"2022-04-13T10:40:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T10:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mohr.nugmyanmar.org\/?p=2962"},"modified":"2023-09-14T14:09:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T14:09:30","slug":"statement-on-the-report-of-the-secretary-general-on-progress-made-in-the-implementation-of-follow-up-action-to-the-recommendations-of-the-rosenthal-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mohr.nugmyanmar.org\/en\/interactive_dialogue\/statement-on-the-report-of-the-secretary-general-on-progress-made-in-the-implementation-of-follow-up-action-to-the-recommendations-of-the-rosenthal-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement on the report of the Secretary-General on progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to the recommendations of the Rosenthal Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Statement on the report of the Secretary-General on progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to the recommendations of the Rosenthal Report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar restates its commitment to partnership and close coordination with the United Nations ( UN ) Resident Coordinator a.i. in Myanmar, the United Nations Country Team ( UNCT ), and with individual UN agencies, funds and programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myanmar is however deeply disappointed by the Secretary-General\u2019s report on \u2018 progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to the recommendations \u2018 set out in the Rosenthal Report, which addressed systemic UN failures of the Rohingya in Rakhine State<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.In his opening remarks at HRC46 a year ago, the Secretary-General warned that Myanmar was a \u201d perfect storm of upheaval \u201c . \u2018 The situation has since sharply deteriorated, prompting the High Commissioner for Human Rights to repeatedly label it as a human rights catastrophe \u201c . As the High Commissioner has recently reported, the military junta\u2019s escalating atrocities include acts :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that may amount to crimes against humanity \u2026 in particular , murder , forcible transfer of population , imprisonment other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law , torture , persecution against any identifiable group or collectively on political grounds , enforced disappearances , and other inhumane acts \u2026 When linked to an armed conflict , some of these acts may also amount to war crimes .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yet the Secretary-General\u2019s report ignores the human rights situation in Myanmar and says little on the UNCT\u2019s responses to it. Confusingly, the report allocates as much space to discussion of the UNCTs in Chile, the Philippines, Mexico, and Sri Lanka as it does to Myanmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rosenthal Report found that the UN system in Myanmar had collectively failed to convey the UN\u2019s \u2018 principled concerns regarding grave human rights violations \u2018. The content of the Secretary General\u2019s report suggests that this remains the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the report speaks of the transformative vision of human rights \u2018 set out in the Secretary General\u2019s Call to Action and confirms that \u201d human rights are the responsibility of each and every United Nations actor \u2018, it stops short of clarifying how this transformative vision will reach the  Myanmar people and through what principled UN actions. Mention is made of the UNCT\u2019s Human Rights Strategy \u2013 adopted in July 2020 \u2013 without address of whether and if so how has been updated to respond to the junta-induced human rights crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report also discusses the central role of the Resident Coordinator in formulating a common position for the UNCT regarding engagement with the military authorities without clarifying what concrete steps \u2013 Informed by the UNCT\u2019s Engagement Guidelines \u2013 have been taken to ensure that legitimacy is not granted to the military junta. The junta, significantly, is led by individuals that the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar recommended be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including against the Rohingya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar\u2019s concerns with the Secretary-General\u2019s report are compounded by its late release, and by the failure of the Resident Coordinator a.i. to participate in the enhanced interactive dialogue as requested by the Human Rights Council. When added to the continuing delay in the appointment of a permanent Resident Coordinator, this shows an alarming lack of seriousness in confronting a \u201d perfect storm of upheaval \u201c .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A repeat of past UN failures seems inevitable if this approach continues. The cost will borne out in civilian lives, only to be followed by renewed pledges of \u201d never again \u201d and reactivated cycles of internal inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myanmar therefore strongly recommends that the Secretary-General:<\/p>\n\n\n\n