Myanmar, 2013

At the outset, I should like

to extend my sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on

your election as President of the General Assembly

at its sixty-eighth session. I assure you of the full

support and cooperation of the Myanmar delegation.

I am confident that your diplomatic skills and vast

knowledge will guide our deliberations to a successful

conclusion. I should also like to pay special tribute to

your predecessor, Mr. Vuk Jeremi., for a job well done

in guiding the sixty-seventh session of the General

Assembly.

We are fast approaching the deadline for the

Millennium Development Goals. With fewer than

850 days to go, there is now a sense of urgency to look

back on our past journey and chart the way forward.

Despite the laudable advances made in meeting several

of the global Millennium Development Goal (MDG)

targets in the past 13 years, there remain inequality and

variations in achievement across regions and within

countries. Therefore, we need to intensify our efforts

and accelerate actions towards the full realization of

the MDGs in the remaining short span of time.

In many developing countries, especially the least

developed ones, a large proportion of the population

is still grappling with poverty, hunger, economic and

social disparity, and environmental degradation. It

is therefore most pertinent and timely for the United

Nations to set the post-2015 development agenda. For

its part, Myanmar has been exerting relentless efforts to

raise the socioeconomic conditions of its people, with

poverty alleviation as the core priority of the national

economic strategy, commensurate with the MDGs.

My delegation adds its voice to that of the Group

of 77 in calls to address the key implementation gaps

of the MDGs and the poverty agenda over the next

two years. In this regard, national efforts should be

assisted by international support and an enabling

environment. The role of the global partnership for

development must also be strengthened. Achieving

inclusive and sustainable development will be one of

the most paramount challenges of this century for the

United Nations. Therefore my delegation welcomes the

establishment by the General Assembly of the High-

Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

This year, Myanmar celebrates the sixty-fourth

anniversary of its membership in the family of the

United Nations. We believe that the United Nations

system remains relevant and important in the current

international situation. In this age fraught with global

challenges, the United Nations is more essential than

ever. We have trust in the world body’s capacity and

capability to maintain international peace and security,

to safeguard fundamental human rights, and to promote

economic and social development. Therefore, Myanmar

has always cooperated with the United Nations in good

faith.

As cooperation with the United Nations is the

cornerstone of our foreign policy, we have always

strictly abided by the decisions and resolutions of the

United Nations. We believe that the United Nations

should be more democratic, representative and effective

in order to face the security and economic challenges in

many parts of the world.

The continued existence of weapons of mass

destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, poses the

greatest threat to humankind. Myanmar is therefore

actively pursuing the cause of nuclear disarmament

and nuclear non-proliferation in international forums.

One testimony of our aspiration is demonstrated by

the annual resolution on nuclear disarmament that

our delegation has submitted since 1995. Through

that resolution we have been calling on nuclear-

weapon States to cease immediately the qualitative

improvement, development, production and stockpiling

of nuclear weapons with a view to taking measures

leading to their total elimination within a specified

framework of time.

In that firm belief, the Government of Myanmar

signed the additional protocol to the International

Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement on the

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

on 17 September. That is yet another significant

development testifying to our commitment to the goals

of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

Myanmar fully subscribes to the fundamental

principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes as

enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Accordingly, Myanmar has been contributing its fair

share to regional and international peace and security.

On the domestic front, the Government of

President U Thein Sein has been undertaking

unprecedented wide-ranging political and economic

reforms over the past two and a half years. The

Government has dedicated its efforts to fulfilling the

twin objectives inspired by the people: to establish

peace, stability and the rule of law, and to advance

socioeconomic development of the lives of the people.

The first component of the reform was political

transformation. The objective was to bring about

peace, stability, national unity and reconciliation. Now

we have been able to establish a firm foundation for

building a democratic society. Political space has been

created for every stakeholder, and the all-inclusive

political system is in place. The legislative bodies are

also functioning well, in an active and vibrant manner.

Numerous pieces of legislation have been enacted to the

benefit of the people, including new laws permitting

greater freedom of the press, speech and association. A

series of amnesties have been granted which have set

free thousands of prisoners. We are speedily working

through a screening mechanism to ensure that no

prisoner of conscience will remain in prison by the end

of the year.

The emergence of civil societies has also contributed

to strengthening democratic values and practices. We

have now been able to nurture a new culture of dialogue

and accommodation among people of differing views

and beliefs. We are also taking steps to establish the

rule of law, good governance and clean government.

We have also made tangible progress in our efforts

towards national reconciliation. The Government’s

peace overtures have led to ceasefire agreements with

all armed groups, for the first time in more than 60 years.

We hope that we will be able to celebrate the signing of

a nationwide ceasefire agreement in Nay Pyi Taw very

soon. We are optimistic that we will be able to start

a new round of political dialogue at the Union central

level in the near future to strike a comprehensive and

lasting peace agreement. We have no illusion that the

next step will be easy, but we are determined to pursue

this path for the sake of our people, as they have for so

long deserved.

The hard-won peace and the success of the

democratic transformation will not be realistic or

sustainable until and unless we deliver on the economic

and social needs of the people. Therefore, as the

second component of reform, we have opened up the

economy through economic liberalization, financial

reform, inviting foreign investment, a people-centred

development approach, rural development, poverty

alleviation and equitable development. We have

also created an investor-friendly environment. The

Government is focusing on poverty alleviation and rural

development. We have aimed at reducing the current

poverty rate from 26 per cent to 16 per cent by 2015, as

prescribed in the Millennium Development Goals.

Recently, the Government turned its focus to

private-sector development as another wave of reform.

At this stage, the Government is strongly emphasizing

the improvement of the institutional infrastructure and

regulatory framework so as to facilitate business, trade

and investment.

We are truly grateful to the international community

for its invaluable support and encouragement in our

democratic transition as well as in our efforts for the

socioeconomic development of the people of Myanmar.

We welcome responsible trade and investment that will

transfer technology to develop our economy, to create

jobs and to lift our people from poverty. We are now

taking the necessary steps to become a signatory to the

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. We will

try our best to ensure that no one from the communities

or our national ethnic groups will be left behind and

excluded from enjoying the fruits of our reforms and

the exciting life of the nation.

Myanmar is a multiracial and multifaith nation.

Various ethnic populations with the world’s four

great religions — Buddhists, Christians, Muslims

and Hindus — have been living side by side in peace

and harmony as fellow citizens of Myanmar. The

Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

also designates the four religions as officially recognized

faiths of the country. There are always people who wish

to rock the boat. We will not let anyone take advantage

of political openness to instigate violence among the

different ethnic or religious communities. President

U Thein Sein has clearly stated that the Government

will take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone fuelling

ethnic hatred.

The Government has been making serious

efforts to resolve the problem through short-term

and long-term plans. These include our extensive

efforts, in cooperation with the United Nations and

humanitarian non-governmental organizations, to

improve the living conditions and livelihoods of all

affected peoples, without discrimination. Parallel with

these efforts, the Government is also encouraging

interfaith dialogues across the country with a view to

promoting understanding and trust among the different

communities. In addition, the National Human

Rights Commission, an independent human rights

body of Myanmar, has also been working closely and

intensively with domestic civil society organizations,

interfaith groups and regional and international human

rights bodies for the promotion and protection of human

rights in the country.

Our reform process is still nascent and at a

sensitive stage where there is little room for error. With

this in mind, the President has publicly emphasized

the need for everyone to refrain from doing anything

that could jeopardize Myanmar’s peaceful transition.

While undertaking political and other reform processes

domestically, we have also been able to reach out to the

international community. The overwhelming support

that we have received from the international community

and the United Nations has contributed significantly to

the transition efforts in the country.

Myanmar is ready to take over the chairmanship of

the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

in 2014 for the very first time since the country joined

the Organization in 1997. We regard this opportunity

as a great honour. We shall be working closely with our

fellow ASEAN members and with ASEAN dialogue

partners in discharging this important responsibility so

as to move forward in unity to a peaceful and prosperous

community.

In the process of Myanmar’s transition to

democracy, expectations are high within the country

as well as in the international community. For the

Government and the people of Myanmar, the task is

daunting. There are many challenges ahead. We are still

in a critical transition period. However, we are resolute

in marching forward along our chosen path. There will

be no turning back. But we will not take anything for

granted. It is incumbent upon the Government and

people of Myanmar to be vigilant at all times so that we

do not fall into the trap of the detractors of the reform

process.

We need the continued support and encouragement

of the international community. We always welcome

friendly and constructive advice and the helping

hands of friends far and near in our nation-building

process. However, we are fully cognizant of the fact

that ultimately the people Myanmar themselves are

responsible for deciding their own destiny and shaping

their own future.

The Government of President U Thein Sein is

laying a solid foundation for democracy, peace and

development for the people of Myanmar. Observers

have applauded Myanmar’s transition to democracy as

one of the most promising efforts of democratization in

the world today. The success we have achieved so far on

the road to democracy has been made possible through

the joint efforts of the leadership and the people of

Myanmar, driven by a strong and genuine desire to

change.

The road ahead is long and full of challenges. We

will spare no effort to overcome any challenges and

move ahead on the journey on which we have set out to

build a nation of peace, democracy and prosperity. As

we continue our journey we need the understanding,

continued encouragement and support of the United

Nations and the international community. We will

never lose sight of our goals, and we are determined to

fulfil the aspirations of the people of Myanmar.