MYANMAR
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Statement by U Hla Myint, D irector-General, Internati onal Or ganizati ons and Economic Department, Minirtry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar at the Third Committee of the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
on Agenda Item (70)(b)(c) (")t Promotion and Protection of Human Rights

31 October 2007 New York

Mr. Chairman, to The efforts of the internationalcommunity over severaldecades give respectfor human rights and fundamental effect to promoting and encouraging We freedoms havehad somemeasures success. havegonebeyondthe standard of settingphaseand a mechanism beenestablished the United Nationssystem has in to promoteandprotecthumanrights, strengthened eight treaty bodies.We will by with havetwo more treaty bodieswhen the Conventionon the Rights of Persons Disabilities and the InternationalConvention for the Protectionof All Persons from EnforcedDisappearances enter into force. We havebeenable to makethese remarkable strides principally because we were able to work together in with the purposes the United NationsCharter. of accordance Mr. Chairman, It is only through genuineinternationalcooperationthat we can advance freedoms.With the efforts to effectively promote humanrights and fundamental advent of the Human Rights Council, it is our hope that confrontationamong states the questionof humanrights will diminish andprospects cooperation on for would grow. We are encouraged that the Human Rights Council has reached agreement institutional building. As a result, the Universal Periodic Review, on one of the most important components the Council Structure,would develop of into a constructivemechanismdealing with the full range of human rights in cooperationwith States. However, on the other hand there is a continuing tendency the Third Committee selectivelytargetdeveloping in to This is countries. a matterof deepconcernas suchpracticescan compromise credibilify of the the Committee undermine work. and its Mr. Chairman, Despite the widely-held view in the Committee that country-specific resolutionsare counterproductive, there are still glaring attemptsto single out countries. Such attempts will only weaken the international cooperationand detractfrom the laudableeffortsto strengthen existinghumanrightsmachinery the of the UnitedNations. Mr. Chairman, We are convincedthat genuineand effective international cooperation will not be possibleunlessthere is a profound understanding the variousproblems of and challengesfacing different countries. At the same time, their political, economicand socialrealitiesalso needto be takeninto accountwhentheir human rights situationsare examined. The aim of this examinationshouldbe to enhance the capabilityof the countryconcerned promotehumanrights ratherthan finger to pointing particularly basedon information which cannotbe substantiated. his In address the ftrst session the HumanRights Council last year,the Minister for to of ForeignAffairs of Myanmar statedo'Inthe consideration a country's situation, of

2 the validity and credibility of sourceof the information usedas a basisshouldbe one of the criteriafor the allegations'acceptability."Indeedunverifiedallegations a shouldnot be considered basisfor judging a country'shumanrights situation.In of that this regard,we areencouraged the process UniversalPeriodicReviewplans more inclusiveto its to broaden informationsources become Mr. Chairman, International cooperation promotes friendly relations among states. Similarly if we cooperation. international Likewise,friendly relationscan enhance genuine and constructiveinternationalcooperationin the field of can achieve human rights, the necessaryclimate will be created at the national and international levels to ensure the enjoyment of human rights and firndamental throughunbridledcriticism, freedomby all. Sucha climatecan hardly be achieved The latest attemptin the Third particularlywhen such criticism is unwarranted. Committeeto introduce a country-specificresolution on Myanmar shows that confrontationcontinuesto be the preferredapproachof some countries.It is a matterof deepregretthat suchnegativitycontinues. Mr. Chairman, The current situationin Myanmar is delicateand complex.As a result of that besetthe country until recently, the challenges the protractedinsurgencies to facing the country are not susceptible easy solutions. This has been rightly pointed out by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. Mr. Chairman, is mechanism one of the most effectivetools in the The specialprocedures of United Nations action in the field of human rights. The effectiveness this The cannotbe overemphasized. work of specialprocedures mandate mechanism holdershave becomemore effective over the past severalyears as coordination amongthemselves have increased. and cooperation However,we are concerned that this procedure may unwittingly become a vehicle for promoting the disinformationcampaignagainstmembercountriesby relying principally on the informationprovidedby anti-government elements. Mr. Chairman, The right to developmentis a universal and inalienableright. It is also integralpart of fundamental humanrights. The challenge developing for countries is to make the enjoymentof such rights a reality. A State's capacityto realize human rights, including the right to developmentis further weakenedwhen it facesa variety of challenges its national development in efforts. In the caseof Myanmar, unilateral sanctionsplace impedimentsin its path to development. These sanctionsare tools aimed at disrupting the country's economy and its

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3 society. Thousandsof Myanmar women have lost their jobs as the county's textiie industry has been adversely affected by the sanctions imposed by Western countries. The countries that are leading the charge to take Myanmar to task through a country specific resolution-purportedly champions of human rights are the samecountries that deprive the country of its right to development. Mr. Chairman, We are encouraged by the progress made by the Working Group on the Right to Development and its Task Force. We commend them for their work and support the Working Group's recommendation for the active participation of international financial, trade and development institutions since their role is as equally important as effective national development policies to implement the right to development. Mr. Chairman, The United Nations Charter places human rights in the context of international cooperation. It is only through cooperation that we can ensure that people everywhere enjoy political, economic, social and cultural rights. Thank you.