The National Unity Government of the Republic of the Union Myanmar welcomes the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Judgment on the preliminary objections in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar).

The ICJ’s Judgment, which straightforwardly rejects all objections to the jurisdiction of the Court and admissibility of the claim, clears the way for substantive hearings on the atrocities directed against the Rohingya during military operations in 2016 and 2017.

The hearing on those objections need not have proceeded. On 10 February 2022, the National Unity Government, as the proper representative of Myanmar in the case, formally communicated to the ICJ that it accepted the Court’s jurisdiction and withdrew all preliminary objections.

Accountability and reparations for the Rohingya must remain the driving imperative. The National Unity Government will continue to extend its full cooperation to the ICJ in the case.

Furthermore, the National Unity Government has submitted an Article 12(3) Declaration to the International Criminal Court (ICC), accepting the ICC’s jurisdiction with respect to international crimes, including genocide, committed in Myanmar since 2002.

The National Unity Government will also continue to share evidence with the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) and with national prosecution services to advance accountability efforts in other jurisdictions.