United Nations Human Rights Council will review human rights situation in Myanmar for the third cycle in 2020, said Vice-President Myint Swe.

The remarks came from the opening speech of the Vice-President to the first coordination meeting of the national level committee for implementing recommendations on Universal Periodic Review at the meeting hall of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Nay Pyi Taw on December 26.

“The UN HRC will review human right situation in Myanmar for the third cycle in 2020. The national report on implementing recommendations about Universal Periodic Review for second cycle must be submitted not later than 2020 July. The national report draft must be submitted to the national-level committee at the end of December in 2019.

 “The work committees concerned, the ministries and the organizations should work together for the emergence of the comprehensive national report. The UPR process is an opportunity capable of revealing progress in human right situation to the world community. Myanmar is making strenuous efforts to improve human right situation just like the world nations. Special attention should be paid ensuring the national report will be widespread,” said Vice-President Myint Swe.

The UPR means the regular review of human right situation of all world countries. It is a task according to the resolution 65/251 of the United Nations General Assembly. Myanmar submitted the First Cycle of the UPR to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland in 2011 and the Second Cycle in 2015. The United Nations HRC made reviews of the first and second cycles. It accepted 166 of 281 recommendations from 93 countries. 

With regard to these recommendations, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission organized the workshop in Nay Pyi Taw during August in 2016. The MNHRC also held the workshop in collaboration with the Lutheran World Federation (Myanmar) in Nay Pyi Taw during June this year. The MNHRC submitted the outcomes resulting from the workshop to the President Office. With aim of implementing recommendations about UPR, the President Office formed the national-level committee comprising 25 members and laid down five tasks, said Vice-President Myint Swe.

Present at the coordination meeting were Vice Chairmen of the committee Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Dr. Win Myat Aye, U Kyaw Tin and Union Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo, committee members Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Chairman U Win Mra, Deputy Ministers Maj-Gen Aung Thu, Rear Admiral Myint Nwe, Maj-Gen Than Htut, U Khin Maung Tin, U Aung Hla Tun, Dr. Daw Mya Lay Sein and U Sett Aung, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, Joint Secretary of Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation, Secretary of the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association and officials.

  Translated and Edited by Win Htut