Summary: "The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 64/238 and covers the period from 26 August 2009 to 25 August 2010. Upon the reassignment of Ibrahim Gambari on 1 January 2010, I designated my Chef de Cabinet, Vijay Nambiar, as Special Adviser to oversee the good offices mandate. Since my last visit to Myanmar in July 2009, there have been some signs of flexibility from the Myanmar authorities in response to my proposals, such as the release, on 17 September 2009, of over 130 political prisoners as part of a broader amnesty. However, the detention of other political prisoners and the continued house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remain of grave concern. It is regrettable that further opportunities to advance meaningful political dialogue among key stakeholders have not been pursued. Throughout the reporting period, continuous efforts were made to engage the Myanmar authorities and key stakeholders, in order to pursue the objectives of the good offices mandate. However, the Government, has not extended an invitation to my Special Adviser to engage further with the authorities and other concerned parties in the country since my last visit. This lack of meaningful engagement is disappointing. It is also a lost opportunity for Myanmar. Member States have an interest and responsibility to actively ensure that Myanmar extends the necessary cooperation. The upcoming elections, the country?s first in 20 years, present a major test of the prospects of peace, democracy and prosperity in the country. Myanmar?s senior leaders have made repeated statements of commitment to free and fair elections. The Government has issued electoral laws, appointed an 18-member Union Electoral Commission and announced an election date of 7 November 2010. As at 25 August, the Commission had approved the registration of 42 out of 47 political parties to contest the elections, including 5 of the 10 parties that had contested the 1990 elections and had re-registered. While this suggests that political space may have opened up by the standards of the past two decades, it is all the more necessary for the authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in an inclusive, credible, participatory and transparent manner. In this regard, I reiterate my call for the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as the clearest signal of such commitments. During the reporting period, the Special Adviser exerted efforts to engage at the senior level with relevant United Nations offices, such as the interdepartmental working group on Myanmar, where a number of system-wide priorities were identified. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) continued a wide-ranging policy dialogue with the Government aimed at addressing the country?s developmental priorities and challenges. The United Nations country team and the Government reached agreement on a two-year joint humanitarian initiative on Northern Rakhine State. Two years after the establishment of the Tripartite Core Group mechanism by the Government, the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), its mandate was concluded on 31 July 2010, with recognition and gratitude expressed by the Myanmar authorities. Myanmar must make progress in overcoming its twin legacies of political deadlock and armed conflict. Addressing the parallel challenges of respect for human rights, national reconciliation and democratization is an essential goal that remains to be fulfilled. It is critical to pursue dialogue and cooperation among all stakeholders, as well as greater political, social and economic openness. I am committed to continuing cooperation with the Government and people of Myanmar to enable their efforts to make a successful transition to a credible civilian and democratic Government. Myanmar stands to benefit greatly from the wideranging experiences of the United Nations and its efforts to assist in the humanitarian and socio-economic areas. I reiterate my call for unity of purpose and unity of action among key interested Member States, regional entities, multilateral development actors and international financial institutions, to encourage all domestic stakeholders to contribute to positive change in the national interest of Myanmar."