UN is steady partner for Myanmar's reform and reconciliation process: Ban Ki-Moon

The United Nations (UN) has been a steady partner to support the reform and reconciliation process of Myanmar, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon told the 21st Century Panglong Ethnic Conference in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday.

Marking the conference as a historic transition, Ban pledged in his address that the UN will continue efforts to smooth the differences, lower tensions and move parties towards better understanding and dialogue in line with the goals and values of the UN Charter.

The Secretary-General urged the participants to accept that no party involved in the reconciliation process can expect to achieve all its aims. Conversely, every side must win something if the process is to succeed.

Ban said he was encouraged that different ethnic armed organizations with divergent interests and aspirations came together to form a single team to negotiate the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) last year.

The new government has undertaken efforts to make it more inclusive and the Panglong Conference is representing the results of those efforts, he underlined.

The 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference of Myanmar, which aims to unite with all ethnic nationalities and build a democratic federal union through dialogue, kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday.

The four-day historical Panglong Conference gathered representatives of the government, the parliament, the military, invited political parties, ethnic armed and non-armed organizations and civil society totaling about 1,600. Endit