Summary: "The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 32 of General Assembly resolution 66/230 and covers the period from August 2011 to July 2012. It has been a remarkable year of promise and change in Myanmar. Building on its initial efforts in the first half of 2011, the new civilian Government headed by President Thein Sein undertook dramatic and significant reform measures to consolidate democracy by building new institutions; enacting new laws in active sessions of the national parliament and regional assemblies; reaching out to various ethnic groups to promote peace and national reconciliation through inclusive consultation, and encouraging the voluntary return and resettlement of displaced populations; releasing significant numbers of political prisoners, including some of the most prominent figures; and taking measures to carry out economic reforms aimed at transforming the largely centralized economy into an increasingly market-oriented one that is open to foreign investment and trade. The changed political environment, following the meeting between President Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in August 2011, resulted in the revision of the electoral laws that has enabled the National League for Democracy to return to the electoral fold after more than 20 years and to convincingly win 43 of the 45 seats in the by-election held on 1 April 2012. The past year has also witnessed a step change in the engagement between Myanmar and the international community. The member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to Myanmar?s hosting of the 2014 ASEAN summit. In the same period, the resumption of high-level bilateral engagement with Myanmar by the United States of America, the European Union and other interested countries brought about major shifts in their policies, including the review, suspension or lifting of their sanctions against Myanmar. With the United Nations, there was a new expansion in relations that enabled engagement on the normalization of restricted programmes and greater cooperation with the various agencies of the Organization in support of the country?s all-round political and socioeconomic development and in meeting humanitarian needs. I visited Myanmar from 29 April to 1 May 2012, which was my third visit to the country as Secretary-General."