A recent police training exercise conducted by UN human rights staff in Sagaing Region in northwest Myanmar clearly illustrates the need for such a holistic approach. While the police officers from 20 townships understood and appreciated the human rights standards they were being taught, they had a frank exchange with the trainers about the difficulties of actually implementing those standards. Such friendly, sustained interactions, in which we learn about the real, daily, nuanced, often systemic challenges on the ground, would enable us to tailor our assistance, and to address the broader context in the long-term. This would make our training more practical and its benefits more sustainable.
No country, rich or poor, has a perfect human rights record and each one would benefit from such advice and attention. But this is clearly even more important in the context of a country like Myanmar, which is at a crucial point in its democratic transition, with an unprecedented opportunity to entrench human rights in every aspect of reform. We can draw from our experience in other countries, with clear knowledge of what has worked well and what has not, and apply our expertise to the particular context of Myanmar.
Since my staff began visiting Myanmar in 2010, we have engaged with the authorities, civil society and UN partners in a spirit of dialogue and trust. We have witnessed important advances, but we are also painfully aware of a number of serious ongoing human rights challenges. These include continuing discrimination and outbreaks of communal violence, as well as curbs on people exercising their newfound freedoms of speech and peaceful protest.
The UN Human Rights Office, with its global mandate, is obliged to raise the alarm wherever there is potential for grave human rights violations. It can either do this while working very closely with the government to mitigate the damage, or it can do it from the outside. While both approaches are adopted in a constructive spirit, clearly being present in the country and working continuously with national partners is preferable for all concerned.
As Myanmar proudly hosts the Asean Summit, President Thein Sein should seize upon the opportunity to confirm that Myanmar is indeed ready to host a UN human rights country office by early next year. That would be send a clear message to the international community that Myanmar is firmly on the path towards solid and sustainable protection of human rights — including social, economic, civil, political and cultural rights, as well as the right to development — for every man, woman and child within its jurisdiction.