HRC55 - NB8 statement - High Commissioner oral update Myanmar

Human Rights Council – 55th session

Item 2: Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner oral update on Myanmar

Statement by Norway on behalf of the Nordic Baltic countries

1 March 2024

High Commissioner,

Thank you for this update.

We, the Nordic-Baltic States, remain deeply disturbed by the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar.

Increased violence and massive new internal displacement and refugee movements affect the civil population, including children, in devastating ways. We receive frequent reports of violations and abuses of human rights and international law. In Rakhine state, the resumed fighting worsens the already dire conditions of the vulnerable Rohingya population, for whom access to humanitarian assistance remains severely limited.

We condemn in the strongest terms any indiscriminate use of force by the military.

We call for an immediate end to all violence and abuses against civilians. We also call for the provision of full and unhindered humanitarian access, and an inclusive dialogue with the meaningful participation of all stakeholders, including ethnic and religious minorities.

The UN must be enabled to coordinate and conduct humanitarian diplomacy, including on access.

High Commissioner, in the current environment, what actions should external actors prioritize in the short and medium term to improve the human rights situation in Myanmar?

I thank you.