Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Rejected
No substantive United Nations Security Council resolution passed on Myanmar since 2022.
Conclusion
We note with concern that despite increasing violence and reports of human rights violations, there has been no substantive resolution on Myanmar passed by the United Nations Security Council since 2022. (Conclusion, Paragraph 99)
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the committee's conclusion, highlighting its consistent efforts as UN Security Council penholder on Myanmar. They state the UK secured a significant political resolution in 2022, and has since convened numerous ad-hoc meetings and led negotiations on a unified press statement, demonstrating ongoing substantive engagement despite challenges in securing further resolutions.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Disagree. 40. HMG consistently uses its role as UN Security Council penholder to maintain a spotlight on Myanmar including to highlight the dire humanitarian situation and to galvanise political progress. In 2022, the UK secured the first-ever political Security Council resolution on Myanmar (resolution 2669). This resolution is hugely significant as it clearly lays out the international community’s expectations of Myanmar, including an immediate end to all forms of violence and the release of all political prisoners. It remains the benchmark for an inclusive peace process. This was the result of very careful diplomacy and discussion, in particular with neighbouring countries and ASEAN as the relevant regional organisation. 41. While HMG recognises the Committee’s recommendation for mandated and more-regular reporting, there is not yet the requisite support across the UN Security Council for this, including amongst all five of the permanent members. We have therefore, as penholder, convened six ad-hoc UN Security Council meetings in 2024 and three thus far in 2025, including to address human rights violations and to call for greater humanitarian action. Following the 28 March earthquake in Myanmar, the UK led negotiations on a UN Security Council press statement in April 2025, reaffirming the importance of “the timely and effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination”. This press statement, a format which requires full council consensus, marked the first unified UN Security Council message since the UK-led resolution in 2022. This followed numerous previous attempts which were unable to reach full Council consensus, which is a requirement for the press statement format. Similarly, any UN Security Council resolution regarding the conflict would require broad support across the Council including amongst the permanent members, to be successful. 42. HMG continues to support ASEAN’s leadership on the crisis, including the full implementation of the Five Point Consensus and the work of the Special Envoy to this end. As penholder the UK has encouraged more sustained coordination between UN and ASEAN to address the crisis, including via joint briefings by the UN and ASEAN Special Envoys at the UN Security Council.