Who will represent Myanmar and Afghanistan at the UN?

On 14 September, the United Nations will convene its annual General Assembly at its headquarters in New York. The theme of the 76th regular session is "Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect people's rights and revitalize the United Nations". Pandemic recovery and the ongoing climate challenge will be two central issues in the new General Assembly cycle, but there are other issues that create concern even before the new cycle begins.

The year 2021 began with a coup d'état in Myanmar that has plunged the country into instability. Moreover, beginning in April, the month in which Joe Biden announced the complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban began an offensive in the country that culminated on 15 August with the insurgents' seizure of Kabul. The international community followed closely these two events, which have affected the balance in both regions.

Now, with the new round of General Assembly sessions about to begin, the big question is who will represent which country at the UN.

The Myanmar government was accused internationally for its brutal crackdown on protesters after the February coup. The UN demanded that the new regime release political prisoners, re-establish the government and allow humanitarian access to the country.

Before the military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing, Kyaw Moe Tun was the country's ambassador to the UN. However, after Hlaing's seizure of power, the diplomat was dismissed. It was then that the foreign minister of the current government, Wunna Maung Lwin, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres formally notifying that Moe Tun would be replaced by Aung Threin, a former military officer sympathetic to the government.

Kyaw Moe Tun, a former ambassador, has come under fire from the current rulers for his criticism of the coup. In early August two men were arrested for attempting to assassinate the diplomat in New York.

The question of who will represent Myanmar at the UN is still unresolved, although several anti-coup activists are already lobbying the UN not to accept the new ambassador. "Accepting the military junta's credentials would further entrench the regime, giving the green light for continued repression," Damian Lilly, a member of Myanmar Accountability Protect, told The New York Times.

Rick Gladstone, a journalist for the US media outlet, explains why UN credentials are so relevant. "A seat at the United Nations has symbolic significance, a benchmark of a government's credibility and acceptance in the global community, even if rivals oppose it," he says. In addition to sitting in the General Assembly, the country could participate in UN agencies such as the WHO or the Human Rights Council. "The accreditation of a country's ambassador to speak on its behalf is therefore of enormous importance," he adds.

Afghanistan is different from Myanmar in that the new Taliban regime has not chosen a successor to Ghulam Ishaqzai, the current Afghan ambassador to the UN. Ishaqzai has condemned the Taliban for their "cruel and inhumane" acts. The UN has also criticised the Taliban's actions against Afghan civilians, especially women. The Security Council demanded from Kabul that the future government be "united, inclusive and representative, including with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women". However, the Taliban have already stated that women are unlikely to be part of the new administration.

Despite not complying with the rules dictated by the UN, Antonio Guterres has already stated that dialogue with the Taliban is necessary to prevent the collapse of the Afghan economy. "We believe that a dialogue with them is now essential," Guterres said. Some countries have already begun a rapprochement with the Taliban, such as China and Pakistan, so it would not be unusual for a representative of the movement to have a seat in the General Assembly.

Myanmar and Afghanistan could be two states without representation in the UN, as was previously the case with China and South Africa. Beijing was expelled from the international body after the communist revolution of 1949, while the African country was suspended for its racist policies during apartheid.