Secretary-General Welcomes ASEAN’s Appointment of Special Envoy on Myanmar, Saying United Nations Expects Continuing Cooperation in Quest for Coherent Response

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the appointment of Erywan Yusof, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam as Special Envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chair on Myanmar.  This appointment is an important step towards the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus adopted at the ASEAN Leaders Meeting on 24 April.  The United Nations looks forward to continuing its cooperation with ASEAN on a coherent response to the crisis in Myanmar, noting the complementary roles of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General.

The Secretary-General renews his urgent call to the country’s military to respect the will of the people, refrain from acts of violence and repression, and act in the interest of peace, sustainable development and human rights.  As Myanmar is facing growing humanitarian needs and the devastating impact of COVID‑19, the United Nations is focusing its efforts, in cooperation with international and regional partners, notably ASEAN, to provide humanitarian and life-saving assistance.  The Secretary-General reiterates his call to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need.