EU Statement -- UN General Assembly: briefing by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar

Mr President, Madam Special Envoy,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia,the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as San Marino themselves with this statement.

We welcome this briefing, as mandated by General Assembly resolution 80/221, adopted by consensus last December. 

The European Union and its Member States are pleased to have collaborated closely with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on this important resolution, which we first introduced in 2018 in response to the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar that forced over a million people to flee the country. Since then, the situation has deteriorated dramatically, particularly following the military coup in February 2021.

Madam Special Envoy, 

The Myanmar military continues to inflict unimaginable suffering that has even increased since we met here a year ago. Horrific and systematic violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law persist, with recent reports indicating that bombardments have deliberately targeted schools, hospitals, and places of worship sheltering internally displaced persons. Children were killed or injured in at least 640 airstrikes since the military takeover. Non-state armed groups are also documented as committing human rights abuses.

The military’s staged elections, that were neither free nor fair and conducted in a climate of violence, repression and exclusion, followed by the rebranding of military rule under a nominally civilian administration, do not confer legitimacy. 

Persons in vulnerable situations, and in particular persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, including the Rohingya, continue to suffer disproportionately.

The conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all refugees and displaced persons remain non-existent. 

Madam Special Envoy, 

The EU and its Member States fully support your vital work and efforts in pursuing a better future for the people of Myanmar. Your dialogue and engagement with all parties and stakeholders remains crucial.

Let me take this opportunity to reiterate our key concerns and calls for action: 

1. The regime must immediately cease all violence and commit to a genuine and lasting cessation of hostilities. UNSC resolution 2669 (2022) as well as provisional measures ordered by the ICJ must be respected and implemented. 

2. Countries that continue to supply lethal assistance to Myanmar’s regime must stop doing so. States must prevent these atrocities by taking effective and targeted action to end the military’s access to arms and military equipment, including cluster munitions and antipersonnel landmines. The EU is recalling the provision in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The EU reiterates its call for a global arms embargo on Myanmar.

3. International humanitarian law and humanitarian principles must be respected. All parties must allow immediate, full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the country. We also call on all parties to ensure protection of all minorities, including Rohingya communities, in Myanmar and in host countries. Bangladesh’s generosity in providing shelter and safety to over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees is commendable and saves lives. Any durable solution must address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis. 

4. The humanitarian emergency, compounded by the devastating earthquake of March 2025, remains catastrophic. More than 16 million people require life-saving assistance and protection, while internal displacement has reached record levels, yet humanitarian access continues to be obstructed.
5. A transparent, inclusive, and constructive dialogue must be launched to restore peace, stability, and inclusive democracy in line with the will of the Myanmar people. Meaningful participation of all stakeholders must be ensured before any elections can be considered credible. The EU calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained, including political prisoners, among which Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is turning 81 years old today and is imprisoned as we speak. The EU recalls the junta’s duty to guarantee the fundamental rights for prisoners, including access to healthcare and contact with their lawyers and relatives.

6. Justice and accountability are essential for lasting peace and reconciliation. We strongly support the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in investigating and pursuing accountability efforts for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possible genocide.

7. We are deeply concerned by the regime's enforcement of mandatory conscription laws, which systematically weaponize vulnerable youth and minority populations, as well as the expansion of transnational cybercrime and scam syndicates operating out of lawless border zones.

8. We reaffirm our full support for the central role of ASEAN. The Five-Point Consensus sets out key criteria for putting Myanmar back on the path toward stability. To this end, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights has recently conducted high-level engagements with ASEAN and its Member States.

Thank you.

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   North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.