The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on member states to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court through the Security Council, while also urging an end to arms shipments to the military government.
On Monday, 9 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland. He urged UN member states to submit Myanmar’s situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that the human rights crisis in Myanmar is of grave global concern, with increasingly clear severe regional impacts each day.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also called for an immediate halt to the delivery of military-related items, including dual-use goods applicable for both military and civilian purposes, as well as technology software, to Myanmar’s military government. He warned that supplying such items poses a clear risk of facilitating violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law.
He further stated that both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army have systematically violated human rights against the Rohingya community. He cautioned that returning refugees to Myanmar while conditions remain unsafe constitutes a clear breach of the principle of non-refoulement.
Previously, in February 2025, a court in Argentina issued arrest warrants for 25 senior military and civilian officials from Myanmar, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of the military government, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity related to actions against the Rohingya. Meanwhile, human rights violations in Myanmar have continuously worsened since the military coup in 2021, with the military intensifying its crackdown on dissent and expanding military operations nationwide.
Source: Irrawaddy