United Nations in Burma

   Burma joined the United Nations in 1948, after becoming an independent nation. U Thant, a prominent political figure close to Prime Minister U Nu, served as UN secretarygeneral from 1961 to 1971, the first Asian to hold this post. A number of other Burmese nationals have served in the United Nations in various capacities, including Aung San Suu Kyi. After the State Law and Order Restoration Council was established in September 1988, the United Nations became involved in issues concerning human rights, refugees, human development, and drugs. UN agencies with a presence in the country include the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Drug Control Program (UNIDCP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

   In 1992, the UN Commission on Human Rights nominated a "special rapporteur" to investigate the human rights situation in Burma, encourage the government to make improvements, and make a report to the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission. In 2003, this post was filled by Dr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, a Brazilian academic and legal scholar. In addition, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan designated a "special envoy," Razali Ismail, a Malaysian diplomat, who traveled many times to Burma to promote reconciliation between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Daw Suu Kyi. The SPDC has also entered into intensive interactions with the ILO over the issue of forced labor.