Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been appointed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ special envoy for Myanmar, the world body has announced.
Mr Bishop, who is president of the Australian National University, will take up the UN role which has been vacant since June last year when Singaporean diplomat Noelene Heiser resigned.
The United Nations said in a statement that Bishop has “extensive policy, legal and senior management experience.”
“I am deeply honored to have been appointed as the Secretary-General’s special envoy for Myanmar to support the implementation of the General Assembly’s mandate and the December 2022 Security Council resolution,” Bishop said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed the news on Saturday morning.
“Mr Bishop brings a wealth of experience to this role and has been appointed at a critical time as the political, humanitarian and security situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate,” she said.
“The people of Myanmar continue to show great resolve in the face of unspeakable violence and human rights abuses, and Australia remains steadfast in our support to them.”
Mr Wong said the special envoy had played an important role in maintaining international attention and supporting coordinated efforts towards a peaceful resolution for troubled Southeast Asian countries.
Australia said it would work closely with Bishop, ASEAN and the international community to build the conditions for sustainable peace.
Wong also urged the Myanmar regime to “stop violence against civilians, release those unjustly detained, allow safe and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and lead Myanmar to an inclusive democracy.” He reiterated the government’s call to get the area back on track.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell also congratulated Bishop on his appointment.
“As Australia’s first female foreign minister, Julie has made an extraordinary contribution to world politics,” Mr Bell said.
“Now she has added special envoy to her distinguished career in global diplomacy. It is only fitting that she be recognized for the enormous impact she has had on modern international relations.”
Myanmar has been in crisis since the military seized power from Aung Suu Kyi’s elected government on February 1, 2021.
The country is mired in a civil war between the military on the one hand and an armed resistance movement born from a loose alliance of ethnic minority rebels and the junta’s crackdown on anti-coup protests on the other.
Mr Bishop served as Australia’s foreign minister from 2013 to 2018 under Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
She served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018, retiring from politics in April 2019.
Mr Bishop became ANU’s chancellor in January 2020. She will continue in that role while working with the United Nations.
