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The tendency towards authoritarianism, the flagrant disregard for painstakingly agreed rules and conventions of international order, the denigration of human rights across wide and dispersed geographies, and the seeming inability of those tasked with preventing these to do so has meant
Widad Franco is the UN coordinator working within the Global Advocacy division of Human Rights Watch in New York. She is responsible for coordinating and conducting advocacy work at the United Nations with members of the Security Council, General Assembly and other UN offices and agencies. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Widad worked for NHK Japan Broadcasting (the country’s public broadcaster) as an international news producer and reporter covering the work of the United Nations in New York and around the world.
By Widad Franco
The United Nations Security Council, entrusted by the UN Charter to be the world’s guardian of international peace and security, has done little to help the people of Myanmar besides issuing statements asking the junta to end the violence and release prisoners. But the UN General Assembly can help motivate the council take action to stem the rampant abuses.
In the absence of robust Security Council action, the 193-nation General Assembly should adopt a resolution condemning the junta’s rights violations and calling on all UN members to halt arms transfers to Myanmar. While not legally binding on states, such a resolution would carry significant political weight. As the UN’s most representative body, it would send a powerful signal to the junta and press members of the Security Council to adopt a legally binding resolution – as recently urged by a group of 205 nongovernmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch.