A/RES/68/242
Situation of human rights in Myanmar
parties, and urges the Government to continue constitutional and electoral reform in
order to ensure that the elections to be held in 2015 are genuinely credible, inclusive
and transparent;
Further welcomes the increasing space for political activity, assembly,
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speech and the press, and encourages the Government of Myanmar to fulfil its
commitment to carry out comprehensive media reform and to protect the right to
freedom of expression, association and of peaceful assembly, including to allow for
free and independent media and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of human
rights defenders to pursue their activities;
Welcomes the statement by the President of Myanmar that no prisoners of
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conscience will remain in prison by the end of 2013, the continued release of
prisoners of conscience during the past year and the work of the political prisoner
review committee, and urges the Government of Myanmar to continue the process
and to fulfil its commitment to release them by the end of 2013, without conditions,
and to ensure the full restoration of their rights and freedoms;
Expresses concern about remaining human rights violations, including
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arbitrary arrests and detentions of political activists and human rights defenders,
forced displacement, land confiscations, rape and other forms of sexual violence and
torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as violations of
international humanitarian law, and urges the Government of Myanmar to step up its
efforts to put an end to such violations;
Welcomes ongoing efforts aimed at reviewing and reforming legislation,
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including the Constitution, recalls the importance of ensuring its compatibility with
international standards and democratic principles, in this regard acknowledges with
interest the draft legislation on the National Human Rights Commission intended to
bring its functioning into line with the Paris Principles, 6 and calls upon the
Government of Myanmar to continue legal reform, including by repealing laws
restricting fundamental freedoms, and to consider ratifying additional international
instruments, including international human rights conventions;
Encourages the Government of Myanmar to take further steps to
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strengthen the rule of law, including through legislative and institutional reform, and
to address the need for an independent, impartial and effective judiciary, and repeats
its call upon the Government to take necessary measures to ensure accountability
and end impunity, including by undertaking a full, transparent and independent
investigation into all reports of violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law;
Welcomes the signing of ceasefire agreements between the Government
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of Myanmar and ethnic armed groups, and the recent signing of a seven-point
agreement with regard to Kachin State and urges full implementation of it and of
ceasefire agreements between other groups and the Government, including for all
parties to protect the civilian population against ongoing violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law and for safe, timely, full and unhindered
humanitarian access to be granted to all areas, also welcomes the commitment by
the Government to reach a nationwide ceasefire with ethnic armed groups, and
encourages an all-inclusive political dialogue with the objective of achieving lasting
peace;
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Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights
(resolution 48/134, annex).
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