U.N. taps ex-Australian foreign minister as special envoy for Myanmar

BANGKOK -- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Julie Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister, as his next special envoy for Myanmar. The position has been vacant since Noeleen Heyzer, a former U.N. undersecretary-general, left the post after 20 months in June 2023.

Bishop's appointment comes amid growing calls from key U.N. member countries for more international action amid the Myanmar military's savage campaign to eradicate dissent. Nearly 3 million people have been internally displaced in the country, 90% of them since the 2020 military takeover, 27,000 people have been arrested and many thousands have been killed.