Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate
To:
United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations General Assembly
Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate
17 March 2025
We—the undersigned 290 Myanmar, regional, and international civil society organizations—call on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to urgently open an investigation into conflicts of interest over the business activities of UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Julie Bishop and make the findings public. We also call on the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to immediately end the mandate of the Special Envoy, and on the Secretary-General to assume a leadership role in addressing the crisis in Myanmar directly.
We are alarmed by the Special Envoy’s business activities and connections to the mining industry and Chinese state-owned companies with possible or confirmed commercial interests in Myanmar, including Shenghe Resources and China Communications Construction Company. Her involvement with Chinese state-owned companies raises serious concerns about the impartiality and independence required to engage with China as the Special Envoy on Myanmar. Such conflicts of interest actively endanger the human rights of the Myanmar people as China remains a top source of military support and false legitimacy for the illegal military junta. The Chinese government is evidently aiding and abetting the junta’s ongoing crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Myanmar people.
The UN’s response thus far is wholly unacceptable. As the appointing authority, the UN Secretary-General bears a significant responsibility to the people of Myanmar to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the Special Envoy. That the UN would allow the Special Envoy tasked with addressing the Myanmar crisis to continue given such blatant commercial interests that jeopardize the lives of the people of Myanmar, is unconscionable.
The Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest are the latest reminder that the UN’s decades of peace-brokering attempts through special envoys and “dialogues” have produced absolutely no meaningful, positive change for the people of Myanmar. Instead, this ongoing approach continues to embolden the junta to commit atrocity crimes with complete impunity and harm the people of Myanmar. Given the outdated and ineffectual mandate, civil society organizations have previously called for the UN to abolish the position. The UN must transform its destructive approach into principled, ethical, and concerted efforts that fully respect the human rights of the Myanmar people and support their collective will to dismantle military tyranny.
This moment must finally mark the end of the UN’s relegation of responsibility on the crisis in Myanmar. We urge the UNGA to immediately revoke the mandate of the Special Envoy, particularly given the current Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest that jeopardize the lives of the Myanmar people.
We call on the Secretary-General to immediately open an investigation regarding these conflicts of interest and publish the findings. The Secretary-General must urgently take the lead to end the military junta’s terror campaign, ensure accountability for the perpetrators under international law, and robustly support the Myanmar people’s revolution to build sustainable peace and an inclusive federal democracy.
For more information, please contact:
- Mulan, Blood Money Campaign; [email protected]
- Naw Aung, Defend Myanmar Democracy; [email protected]
- Naw Cherry, Karen Peace Support Network; [email protected]
- Khin Ohmar, Progressive Voice; [email protected]
Signed by 290 civil society organizations, including 41 organizations that have chosen not to disclose their names:
- 5/ of Zaya State Strike
- 8888 Generation (New Zealand)
- A-Yar-Taw People Strike
- Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
- Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)
- Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar
- All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress – AASYC
- All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force
- All Burma Democratic Front in New Zealand
- All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)
- Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
- Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon – AJAY
- Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee (Mandalay)
- Arakan Youth Peace Network – AYPN
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Asian Health Institute (AHI)
- Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
- Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP)
- Association Suisse-Birmanie
- Athan—Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
- Auckland Kachin Community NZ
- Auckland Zomi Community
- Aung San Suu Kyi Park Norway
- Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Nagphe
- Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Magway
- Ayeyawady Youth Network (AYN)
- Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)
- Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)
- Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
- Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
- Burma Action Ireland
- Burma Campaign UK (BCUK)
- Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
- Burma Task Force
- Burmese Community Group (Manawatu, NZ)
- Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
- Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation New Zealand
- Burmese Women’s Union (BWU)
- Campaign for a New Myanmar
- CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)
- Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike
- Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee
- Chin Community in Norway
- Chin Community of Auckland
- Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO)
- Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike
- Civil Information Network (CIN)
- Civil Rights Defenders (CRD)
- Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)
- Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike
- Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei
- CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
- CRPH Funding Ireland
- CRPH, NUG Support Team Germany
- Daung Sitthe Strike
- Dawei (Ashaetaw) Women Strike
- Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
- Defend Myanmar Democracy (DMD)
- Democracy Youths Myanmar
- Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
- Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
- Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee
- Depayin Women Strike
- Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
- Educational Initiatives Prague
- Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
- Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)
- ETOs Watch Coalition
- Federal Corner
- Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
- Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa
- Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) (FBC(SA))
- Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD)
- Future Light Center (FLC)
- Gangaw Women Strike
- General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
- General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)
- General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB)
- Generation Wave (GW)
- Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities (GSCN)
- Group for Democracy in Myanmar (The Netherlands)
- HTY Scout Channel
- Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)
- Human Rights Promoter
- India for Myanmar
- Industries Strike
- Info Birmanie
- Information & Scout News (Hlaing)
- Institute for Asian Democracy
- International Association, Myanmar-Switzerland (IAMS)
- International Campaign for the Rohingya
- Italia-Birmania.Insieme
- Justice & Equality Focus (JEF)
- Justice For All
- Justice For Myanmar (JFM)
- Justice Movement for Community-Innlay
- K’cho Ethnic Association (Europe)
- Kachin Association Norway
- Kachin Student Union
- Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT)
- Kalay Township Strike Force
- Kalay Women Strike
- Kamayut Scout Channel
- KantBaLu Strike Committee
- Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
- Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
- Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG)
- Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI)
- Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO)
- Karenni Society New Zealand
- Kayan Rescue Committee (KRC)
- Kayaw Women Association
- Keng Tung Youth
- Kyae Lak Myay
- Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee
- Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
- Latpadaung Region Strike Committee
- Let’s Help Each Other (LHEO)
- LGBT Alliance
- LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)
- LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)
- LGBT Community Yangon
- LGBT Union – Mandalay
- Magway People’s Revolution Committee
- Magway Region Human Rights Network
- Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike
- Mandalar University Students’ Strike
- Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike
- Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)
- Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
- Mandalay Women Strike
- Mandalay Youth Strike
- Mandalay-based People’s Strike
- Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)
- MATA Sagaing
- Mayangone News
- MayMyo Strike Force
- Metta Campaign Mandalay
- Monywa LGBT Strike
- Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee
- Monywa Women Strike
- Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee
- Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike
- Multi-Religions Strike
- Mya Taung Strike
- Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP)
- Myanmar Action Group Denmark
- Myanmar anti-military coup movement in New Zealand
- Myanmar Catholic Community In Norway
- Myanmar Community Group Christchurch New Zealand
- Myanmar Community Group Dunedin New Zealand
- Myanmar Community in Norway
- Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
- Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
- Myanmar Hindu Union
- Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike
- Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)
- Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
- Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
- Myaung Youth Network
- MyaYar Knowledge Tree
- Myingyan Civilian Movement Committee
- Nelson Myanmar Community Group New Zealand
- Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma)
- Network of University Student Unions – Monywa
- New Myanmar Foundation
- New Power Generation
- New Zealand Campaign for Myanmar
- New Zealand Doctors for NUG
- New Zealand Karen Association
- New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
- NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway
- No Business With Genocide
- 12 Basic Education Branch High School (Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
- NOK Information & Scout Echo
- North Dagon & East Dagon News
- Norway Matu Community
- Norway Rvwang Community
- OCTOPUS (Youth Organization)
- Overseas Mon Association. New Zealand
- Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee
- Peace and Social Justice Group
- Progressive Muslim Youth Association (PMYA)
- Progressive Voice (PV)
- Pwintphyu Development Organisation (PDO)
- Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force
- Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
- Queers of Burma Alternative (QBA)
- Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)
- Rohingya Action Ireland
- Rohingya Community in Norway
- Rohingya Progressive Network
- Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
- Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
- Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
- SEA Junction
- Seinpann Strike
- Shan Community (New Zealand)
- Shan MATA
- Shwe Pan Kone People’s Strike Steering Committee
- Sisters2Sisters
- Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
- South Dagon Scouting Infos (SDG)
- Southern Dragon Myanmar
- Southern Initiative
- Southern Youth Development Organization (SYDO)
- Sujata Sisters Group (NZ)
- Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar ( the Netherlands)
- Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
- Tamar Institute of Development
- Tamwe Nway Oo Channel
- Taze Strike Committee
- Taze Women Strike
- Thaketa & Dawbon Scout Channel
- Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)
- Thayat Chaung Women Strike
- The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)
- The Mekong Butterfly
- Triangle Women Organization
- Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)
- S. Campaign for Burma
- Union of Karenni State Youth (UKSY)
- University Students’ Unions Alumni Force
- Volunteers in Myanmar
- Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee
- Wetlet Township Women Strike
- White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)
- Women Advocacy Coalition – Myanmar (WAC-M)
- Women Alliance Burma (WAB)
- Women Lead Resource Center (WLRC)
- Women’s League of Burma (WLB)
- Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)
- Yangon Deaf Group
- Yangon Women Strike
- Yasakyo Township People`s Strike Steering Committee
- Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee
- Youth Empowerment
- Youth for Democratization of Myanmar (UDM)
- Youth Scout For Democracy (YSD)
- Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway
- Zomi Community Norway
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