As the UK today convenes a meeting on the crisis in Burma at the United Nations Security Council, Burma Campaign UK called on the British government to change its approach with a stronger focus on human rights, and a focus on how the Burmese military is violating numerous UN Security Council Resolutions.
The UK is ‘penholder’ on Burma at the UN Security Council, which means it leads on the crisis at the Council.
The UNSC meeting today will be addressed by Julie Bishop, the controversial UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, and Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, in her capacity as the Special Envoy on Myanmar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The meeting will once again be held in private, meaning that once again the people of Burma will not be allowed to know what is being said about their situation.
“In the five years since the coup, the UN Security Council has failed to have any impact. Time is long overdue to try new approaches,” said Anna Roberts, Executive Director at Burma Campaign UK. “All the problems at the Security Council cannot be blamed on obstruction by Russia and China. The UK has taken a narrow and cautious approach which just isn’t working. Simply convening a meeting isn’t progress, it’s process.”
There has always been a disconnect whereby what may be seen as a significant success in diplomatic circles, such as the soft non-binding resolution passed in 2022, is not seen as significant by the Burmese military and has no impact on the ground.
The main approach of the British government has been to invite envoys and speakers from the humanitarian side of the UN, rather than speakers from the human rights side of the UN. Most of those meetings are held in private. More speakers from Myanmar civil society should also be invited.
The British government has also refused to convene a meeting on the Burmese military failing to implement the provisional measures to prevent genocide which were ordered by the International Court of Justice.
Following his official visit to the UK in December 2025, Tom Andrews, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, called out the British government regarding its approach at the UN Security Council, stating:
“While I recognize UK’s efforts to keep Myanmar on the Security Council’s agenda through a series of meetings—mainly private—I believe that more can be done to use this platform to make the crisis more visible. I urge the UK government to consider options for doing so, such as convening a session to discuss the junta’s failure to implement provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the Rohingya genocide case. The UK has intervened in this landmark case in support of justice for the Rohingya. I have also recommended that a stronger human rights lens be integrated into Security Council engagement, including by inviting UN human rights representatives to address the Council at an Arria-formula public meeting.”
His full statement is available here.
Burma Campaign UK has also been calling on the British government to convene a series of meetings specifically on past Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and how the Burmese military are violating them.
Examples of such meetings could be:
Resolution 2417 on starving civilians as a method of warfare.
Resolution 2669 on Burma, and lack of progress in implementing its demands.
Resolution 1265 on protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Resolution 1296 on protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Resolution 2286 on attacks on medical facilities and workers.
Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
The Burmese military is violating these and other UN Security Council Resolutions with impunity.
An approach of convening a series of meetings on specific resolutions and Burma, rather than the current approach of more general briefings, would draw attention to how the Burmese military are violating numerous UN Security Council Resolutions and have a cumulative diplomatic impact with potential allies on the Council while also focusing on an area, UNSC Resolutions, about which the Burmese military is very sensitive.
“The UN Security Council is allowing the Burmese military to violate its own Resolutions and the orders of the top United Nations court, and not even discussing it, let alone acting on it,” said Anna Roberts. “That has to change.”