A/HRC/60/18
translating languages used in Myanmar into English, the Mechanism is also actively
researching and developing artificial intelligence solutions that can facilitate machine
translation of the Mechanism’s collection of materials in Burmese.
III. Progress on cooperation, dialogue and outreach
A.
Cooperation with Member States and other partners
42.
The Mechanism requires the cooperation of numerous entities, including States,
international organizations, civil society organizations, business entities and victims, in order
to collect information and evidence on the most serious international crimes committed in
Myanmar. In an effort to strengthen cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, the
Mechanism continued its high-level dialogues and consultations with Member States and
other actors in Geneva, New York and capitals. These engagements enabled the Mechanism
to promote its work and to advance important cooperation arrangements to carry out evidence
collection and witness interviews in the territories of Member States.
43.
The Mechanism continued to reach out to, and seek information from, the Myanmar
military and armed groups in the country, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the
Human Rights Council and the General Assembly calling upon Myanmar to cooperate and
engage meaningfully with the Mechanism. To date, the Mechanism has made over two dozen
requests to the authorities of Myanmar for information in its possession and for access to the
territory of Myanmar. It also requested information relating to alleged crimes – including
regarding investigations or disciplinary measures undertaken – from both the military
authorities and various armed groups. While the National Unity Government has responded,
and shared detailed information on an investigation it had conducted, the Mechanism has not
received any responses to its requests for information from the military or other armed
groups.
44.
In January 2025, the Head of the Mechanism conducted an official visit to
Bangladesh, where he engaged in high-level discussions with government officials in Dhaka
and outreach activities with the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar. The visit focused on
the Mechanism’s ongoing investigations into crimes committed against the Rohingya
population, recent developments in accountability efforts, and the evolving situation across
the border in Rakhine State. In the lead-up to the High-Level Conference on the Situation of
Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar scheduled to take place in September
2025 – an initiative stemming from the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly – the
Mechanism has underscored the critical importance of addressing issues of justice and
accountability in order to order achieve any long-term peace and stability for communities in
Rakhine State and throughout Myanmar. The Head of the Mechanism also conveyed the
Mechanism’s deep appreciation for the continued support of the Government of Bangladesh
in facilitating its investigations and providing access to Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar
who have been forcibly displaced from Myanmar. The cooperation of Bangladesh remains
crucial in advancing accountability and justice efforts.
45.
The Mechanism continues to call on all Member States seeking to end the spiralling
violence and rampant atrocities in Myanmar to cooperate with its efforts to pursue justice for
these crimes. Calls for the violence to end have little effect if perpetrators of the most serious
crimes feel assured that they will never be held responsible. The Mechanism continues to
seek the cooperation of relevant States so that investigative teams can interview witnesses on
their territory. Expanding such cooperation continues to be a high priority for the Mechanism,
especially with Member States in the Asia-Pacific region where much of the evidence and
many of the witnesses are located. The Mechanism welcomes progress on the negotiation of
cooperation arrangements with some States, which is expected to further enable the
Mechanism’s investigative activities.
46.
The Mechanism’s efforts to establish cooperation arrangements with Member States
for the purpose of facilitating the collection of testimonial and documentary evidence in their
territory have also been informed by lessons learned and best practices identified through an
internal evaluation carried out in 2024. The findings of the evaluation affirmed the
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