In its 43rd Regular Session, the Human Rights Council is due to again extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, providing an opportunity for the Council to send a robust message to the Government of Myanmar that it must end its attacks on civilians and to lend support to wider efforts seeking justice and accountability.
In this regard, PHR calls on the Council to support a resolution which:
- Recognizes the ICJ case against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention, and the Court’s preliminary relief order in the case;
- Renews the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar for at least one more year;
- Mandates the Special Rapporteur to gather information on the current state of the human rights of the Rohingya and other minorities, both inside and outside Myanmar, including a clear reporting mandate;
- Demands that Myanmar fully cooperates with the Special Rapporteur, including providing unconditional access to Rakhine state where the violence of 2017 unfolded;
- Extends the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to monitor and report on Myanmar’s adherence to the ICJ preliminary relief order, and to communicate its findings to international justice mechanisms;
- Reiterates the need for full legal recognition and protection of the Rohingya in Myanmar, including full citizenship rights, and the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of refugees.