Justice For Myanmar welcomes the Swiss Government’s decision to disinvite the illegal Myanmar military junta from the Effective Development Co-operation Summit.

As host of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) Summit, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) had sent an invite to Myanmar’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, which is occupied by the illegal junta.

The junta’s deputy minister of investment and foreign economic relations, Dr Wah Wah Maung, was set to attend the summit virtually, along with junta representatives in Geneva.

Justice For Myanmar and other civil society groups have urged the Swiss Government to disinvite the junta and to invite the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN, U Kyaw Moe Tun, who has the authority to represent the people of Myanmar within the UN system.

However, while disinviting the junta, the Swiss Government has decided to exclude all government representatives from Myanmar.

SDC stated on social media that “the Summit will be open to representatives of governments accredited by the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which is not yet the case for Myanmar.”

UN agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme which is part of GPEDC’s Joint Support Team, is required to comply with UNGA’s position on Myanmar’s State representation. The General Assembly does not recognise the illegal military junta as being the government of Myanmar, but continues to recognise the authority of detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint of the National Unity Government of Myanmar.

Therefore, members of the UN have continued to recognise U Kyaw Moe Tun as the Permanent Representative of Myanmar at the UNGA and he must be invited to represent the people of Myanmar.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung says: “We welcome the Swiss Government’s decision to disinvite the illegal junta from the Effective Development Co-operation Summit.

“The Myanmar junta is an illegal, terrorist organisation and should never have been invited in the first place.

“To truly stand for effective development cooperation, the Summit should invite Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, and recognise and engage with the National Unity Government of Myanmar as an urgent priority.

“The international community needs to effectively cooperate with the NUG to support Myanmar’s future development in the face of its near-collapse due to the junta’s illegal coup attempt and its war of terror against the people of Myanmar.”

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