November 16, 2023

We, Women’s Peace Network, welcome the recent filings of declaration of intervention in The Gambia v. Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. These filings are the November 15 filing of a joint declaration of intervention by the governments of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in addition to today’s filing of such a declaration by the government of the Maldives.

We hope that will these interventions will ensure speedy justice for Rohingya victims and survivors of genocide. Over four years since The Gambia brought this historic case under Article 9 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, one million Rohingya refugees remain in forced displacement under life-threatening conditions, while the 600,000 Rohingya who remained in Myanmar – including the 140,000 confined in internally displaced persons’ camps – are at risk of further attacks of genocide by the Burmese military. We fear that any further delay by the international community in holding the military accountable will embolden its forces to mark their third year since its attempted coup with more mass atrocities against the country’s civilians.

For the Rohingya victims and survivors of genocide, the international community must pursue concerted and comprehensive measures to help bring criminal accountability to Myanmar now. We invite all other governments to file interventions in The Gambia v. Myanmar; and call upon the United Nations and Member States to closely monitor the implementation of its provisional measures and take necessary and appropriate action in cases of non-compliance. All such actions must employ a victim-centered approach, especially when engaging with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence by the Burmese military.

At a time when the Genocide Convention is examined now more than ever, we urge the international community to prevent genocide, hold all its perpetrators to account, and preserve the sanctity of international law – in Myanmar and across the world.

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