ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop Appointed UN Special Envoy
Written by: Finn Slattery-O’Brien
On the 5th of April, Chancellor of ANU and former Australian foreign minister the Hon Julie Bishop was appointed as the UN Special Envoy on Myanmar by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Ms. Bishop succeeds Singaporean social scientist and diplomat Noeleen Heyzer in the role, which broadly entails the execution of UN interests in regions of concern to the General Assembly or Security Council, while both representing these bodies and reporting back to them.
The upsurge in civil conflict in recent years in Myanmar has led to the creation of a Special Envoy role for that region. A Special Envoy typically functions similar to a diplomatic mission, meeting with leaders and representing the UN. However, the needs of the crisis in Myanmar also warrant a role whose scope has expanded to include initiating mediation, broaching conflict resolution and overseeing the standard of human rights observed by all parties involved.
Myanmar has been divided by conflict between ethnic groups and a military power bloc named the Tatmataw, which has seen 628,000 people displaced from their homes. The conflict has also resulted in a collapsed health system and a high danger to aid workers, with 40 killed and 212 arrested in the last three years, which substantially obstructs the delivery of aid to the area.
On her UN appointment, Ms. Bishop stated she was “deeply honoured” to be appointed Special Envoy, where she could “help deliver on the mandate of the General Assembly and the Security Council Resolution of December 2022.”
The UN said in a statement that Ms. Bishop was selected for her “extensive political, legal, management and senior leadership experience to the role” and in particular noted her role in strengthening regional ties in the Asia-Pacific region. The UN also cited Ms. Bishop’s conciliatory efforts in the first ever United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, along with her extensive cabinet and legal experience.
The ANU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Genevieve Bell, also congratulated Bishop on the appointment.
“As Australia’s first female foreign minister, Julie made an incredible contribution to global politics,” Vice-Chancellor Bell said.
“Now, she’s adding Special Envoy to her illustrious career in global diplomacy. This is a well-deserved recognition of her significant impact on contemporary international relations.”
Ms. Bishop, who has also been Chancellor of ANU since 2020, will continue in that role concurrently.
Graphics by: Luc Mattiske
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