A senior UN Human Rights official warns that Myanmar has lost half a decade of peace and development following the military’s seizure of power.
Speaking in Geneva, James Rodehaver, Chief of the Myanmar Team at UN Human Rights, said the military has created an atmosphere of fear, repression and violence across the country, leaving civilians without safety or hope for the future.
Five years after the coup, conflict continues unabated, with airstrikes, arbitrary arrests and widespread repression persisting — including during recent military-run elections. UN Human Rights officials say the process was marked by coercion, exclusion and ongoing violence, deepening the human rights crisis for civilians, minorities and children across Myanmar.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Myanmar
Secretary-General/Colombia
Colombia/Humanitarian
Occupied Palestinian Territory
UNIFIL
Sudan
Yemen
Mozambique
World Interfaith Harmony Week
Honour Roll
Guest
MYANMAR
Five years since the military seized power and arbitrarily detained members of the democratically-elected Government, the suffering of the people of Myanmar has deepened. The cycle of impunity persists, with widespread violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Myanmar and its serious regional ramifications, including rising transnational crime, mass displacement – nearly 5.2 million people, internally and across borders – acute food insecurity, economic volatility and escalating violence, particularly the ongoing airstrikes by the military hitting civilian populations and infrastructure.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns all forms of violence and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, uphold international human rights law and international humanitarian law and enable safe, sustained and unimpeded access for the United Nations and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance and essential services to all those in need.
The Secretary-General continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful and just society and reiterates the need to ensure the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya.
A viable path back to civilian rule must be founded on an immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue with the full participation of civil society, including women, youth, ethnic and minority communities. The Secretary-General urges Myanmar stakeholders and international actors to ensure an environment that allows the people of Myanmar to freely and peacefully exercise their political rights and reiterates his call for the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Regional and international unity and sustained engagement are needed to support a Myanmar-led solution to the crisis that fully addresses the root causes of conflict, ensures accountability and responds to immediate humanitarian and development needs.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, continues to engage with all stakeholders, in close cooperation with ASEAN and other regional partners, in the search for common ground that can provide a foundation for a durable resolution and sustainable peace in Myanmar.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/COLOMBIA
The Secretary-General said that he is saddened by the plane crash in northeast Colombia which happened on 28 January, which claimed the lives of 15 people. The Secretary-General extended his condolences to the families of the victims, who include a member of Colombia’s Congress representing a “peace district”, a congressional candidate from the same region and two humanitarian workers. He also expressed his solidarity with the people and Government of Colombia.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-30
Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch announced the Department of Justice published over 3 million additional pages responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 2025.
Europe and India are deepening a partnership that reaches far beyond trade.
It brings together nearly 2 billion people, strengthens economic ties worth €180 billion a year, and cuts costs for European businesses by around €4 billion annually.
But the impact goes further creating more opportunities for jobs, study, innovation, and cultural exchange, as well as stronger cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies.
This partnership has a long history.
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
This webinar, presented in four parts, provides a definition for the phrase “death in custody” and will describe all phases of custody. Additionally, the presenter will highlight case studies of deaths, including the five manners of deaths and a special focus on drug-related deaths. Lastly, he will provide a brief overview of the position paper issued in 2017 by the National Association of Medical Examiners (Academic Forensic Pathology, 2017). This paper outlined the best practices for examination, death determination, and manner of death classification.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 2, 2020.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
This webinar, presented in four parts, provides a definition for the phrase “death in custody” and will describe all phases of custody. Additionally, the presenter will highlight case studies of deaths, including the five manners of deaths and a special focus on drug-related deaths. Lastly, he will provide a brief overview of the position paper issued in 2017 by the National Association of Medical Examiners (Academic Forensic Pathology, 2017). This paper outlined the best practices for examination, death determination, and manner of death classification.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 2, 2020.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
This webinar, presented in four parts, provides a definition for the phrase “death in custody” and will describe all phases of custody. Additionally, the presenter will highlight case studies of deaths, including the five manners of deaths and a special focus on drug-related deaths. Lastly, he will provide a brief overview of the position paper issued in 2017 by the National Association of Medical Examiners (Academic Forensic Pathology, 2017). This paper outlined the best practices for examination, death determination, and manner of death classification.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 2, 2020.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
This webinar, presented in four parts, provides a definition for the phrase “death in custody” and will describe all phases of custody. Additionally, the presenter will highlight case studies of deaths, including the five manners of deaths and a special focus on drug-related deaths. Lastly, he will provide a brief overview of the position paper issued in 2017 by the National Association of Medical Examiners (Academic Forensic Pathology, 2017). This paper outlined the best practices for examination, death determination, and manner of death classification.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 2, 2020.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
The acting head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei, Major General Robert Yaw Affram, told UN News that the disputed region remains highly volatile, as UN forces operate in a political and security vacuum between Sudan and South Sudan.
In December, a drone attacks targeting the UN logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, killed six peacekeepers and injured eight others – all members of the Bangladeshi contingent serving in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
Due to the overwhelming attendance and interaction for the first Marijuana or Hemp: From Farm Bill to Forensic Analysis webinar that was originally held on January 15th 2020, we have brought the presenters back to answer your questions directly. In this webinar we conducted a deeper dive into all of the questions from the forensic community that were not able to be addressed in the first webinar. This was an opportunity for the forensic community to get the answers to the questions that directly impact their professional capacities.
In the first webinar, attendees heard from experts in agricultural policy, hemp industry analytical testing, and the DEA Special Testing and Research laboratory to obtain a better understanding of the issues that have developed within the field of forensic drug testing since the signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”). This webinar provided a history of US farm policy as it relates to the legalities of hemp and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Information on farming and quality testing used by the hemp industry was presented. The DEA shared their revised and enhanced forensic testing program for the effective and efficient identification of suspected marijuana submissions.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 25, 2020.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
