The United Nations will hold a high-level meeting in September to discuss international policy towards Myanmar, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon here on August 5.
"The international community has high expectations that the government of Myanmar will act in Myanmar's interest by taking timely and positive steps in follow up, after the specific proposals which I made to the senior levels during my visit," Ban told reporters.
After returning from Myanmar in early July, Ban met with Myanmar's UN Ambassador Than Swe on July 31 to reiterate his calls for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as all political prisoners, he said.
Ban said the second high-level meeting would take place at the margins of the UN General Assembly in September, as a follow up the first meeting last year.
The secretary-general made the comments after meeting with the Group of Friends of Myanmar: Australia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Britain, the U.S. and Vietnam, as well as the country holding the presidency of the European Union, which is currently Sweden.
This was the first time the UN special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, chaired the Group of Friends meeting, said Ban.
The international community hopes Myanmar responds to UN requests, expectations, and encouragements in a timely fashion, he said.
On Tuesday, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, said she will be sending a team to Myanmar to press the military junta and rebel groups to end the practice of using child soldiers.
"Coomaraswamy is taking all efforts to address the child soldier issues all around the world, including Myanmar," Ban said. "This is a very important step."
