The Secretary-General met today with a parliamentary delegation from Myanmar led by the Speaker of the Lower House, Hon. Thura Shwe Mann.  The delegation comprised five other parliamentarians representing various political parties in Myanmar, including the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State (UDPKS) and National League for Democracy (NLD).

The Secretary-General and the parliamentarians exchanged views on Myanmar’s reform efforts. He welcomed the important role played by the Parliament in helping advance Myanmar’s reforms, including through legislation aimed at facilitating political, economic and social progress.

In order to safeguard this process, the Secretary-General underscored the need to address the underlying causes of communal violence, guaranteeing respect for the fundamental rights of ethnic and religious minorities and ensuring accountability for the perpetrators of the violence.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the on-going efforts by the Speaker and Myanmar’s parliamentarians to foster genuine dialogue and participation by all political parties in the reform process. In particular, the Secretary-General appreciated the supportive role that Parliament could play in furthering the national reconciliation processes in Myanmar and underlined the need for cooperation on the part of all political stakeholders in this regard.