Summary: The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 61/232. During the reporting period, two visits to Myanmar were undertaken in the context of the Secretary-General's good offices mandate. Following his first visit in May 2006, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs undertook a second visit from 9 to 12 November 2006 at the invitation of the Government. On 22 May 2007, the Secretary-General designated his Special Adviser on the International Compact with Iraq and Other Political Issues and former Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, to continue to pursue the good offices on his behalf. From June to August 2007, the Special Adviser engaged in extensive consultations with key interested countries, with a view to returning to Myanmar as soon as possible. In response to the demonstrations and crisis that broke out in the country on 19 August, which attracted unprecedented world attention and generated serious concerns within the international community, the Secretary-General on 26 September dispatched his Special Adviser to Myanmar, with the support of Myanmar's neighbours, the States members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Security Council. The Special Adviser visited Myanmar from 29 September to 2 October. Each visit to Myanmar included meetings with both the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Senior General Than Shwe, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In the course of these visits, five key areas of concern to the United Nations and the international community were identified on which the Government of Myanmar is expected to deliver concrete results: (a) the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, or at least an improvement in her detention conditions, and a security review leading to the release of all political prisoners; (b) the need for a genuinely inclusive, participatory and transparent political process through which all the people of Myanmar can contribute to shaping their country's future; (c) the need for better cooperation with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies with a view to ensuring free and unhindered humanitarian access, including the possibility of a technical assessment mission to border areas; (d) a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas, including Kayin State; and (e) the need for continued cooperation with the International Labour Organization on the establishment of a joint mechanism to evaluate forced labour complaints. Furthermore, the following guiding principles for the implementation of the good offices were welcomed by all key interested Member States: (a) the good offices is not an event but a process that will require sustained engagement through regular visits and consultations with all concerned; (b) Myanmar presents a complex situation that cannot be reduced to a single issue — however important that may be — but rather requires engagement on a broad range of political, human rights, humanitarian and socio-economic topics; (c) engagement cannot be an end in itself, but rather must yield concrete results; and (d) the international community needs to work together in order to encourage Myanmar to move in the right direction. Key interested countries also expressed concern to varying degrees about the situation in Myanmar, support for the Secretary-General's good offices and appreciation for the Special Adviser's efforts based on the above principles. Against a few modest but encouraging steps taken by the Government over the past year, the tragic events of recent weeks constituted a serious setback for Myanmar. The main objectives of the Special Adviser's visit to Myanmar during the recent crisis were threefold: (a) to assess the situation on the ground in the wake of recent demonstrations; (b) to deliver clear messages from the Secretary-General to the Myanmar authorities at the highest level in response to the situation; and (c) to try to promote dialogue between the Government and the opposition as the best path to ending the crisis and achieving national reconciliation. While the Secretary-General took note of the initial steps taken by the Government to de-escalate the crisis following the Special Adviser's visit, he remains concerned about continuing reports of human rights violations, particularly the excessive use of force and arbitrary detentions, and calls upon the authorities to put an immediate end to any abuses. The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the Government of a possible meeting between Senior General Than Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the subsequent announcement of the appointment of a liaison officer to establish a channel of communication with her, as suggested by the Special Adviser. The Secretary-General urges both parties to display maximum flexibility in order to meet as soon as possible and stands ready to continue to use his good offices to help facilitate any efforts at dialogue. The Secretary-General further encourages the Government of Myanmar to seriously consider the recommendations made by his Special Adviser to address the underlying political and economic factors to the recent unrest, including the need to release all political prisoners, and the possibility of establishing a broad-based constitutional review commission and a broad-based poverty alleviation commission. A/62/498 07-55746 3 While the Secretary-General recognizes that the responsibility for the future of Myanmar rests ultimately with the Government and people of Myanmar, he believes that a return to the status quo that existed prior to the crisis would be unacceptable and unsustainable. The Secretary-General is thus committed to making every effort, including through the intensification of his good offices, so that the United Nations can continue to work in partnership with Myanmar and support its efforts towards national reconciliation, the transition to democracy and full respect for human rights as the necessary foundations for long-term stability and prosperity. This will require the sustained engagement of the United Nations, with the active support of the international community, including especially the countries in the region. In this connection, the Secretary-General welcomes the constructive role played by Myanmar's neighbours and the members of ASEAN, and encourages such efforts to continue. The Secretary-General also welcomes the Presidential statement adopted by the Security Council on 11 October 2007 (S/PRST/2007/37) in support of his good offices mandate, as well as Human Rights Council resolution S-5/1 on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The more united the international community is, the better the prospects for arriving at the shared goals of peace, democracy and prosperity for the people of Myanmar."