A/HRC/25/64 III. Conclusions 66. Throughout his six years on the mandate, the Special Rapporteur has seen significant changes in Myanmar that have brought important improvements to the human rights situation, including the release of over 1,100 prisoners of conscience, the opening up of space for freedom of expression, the development of political freedoms and the holding of free and fair by-elections, and important progress in securing an end to fighting in the ethnic border areas. He believes that there is limited space for backtracking, although the democratic transition is still in its early stages and remains fragile. 67. For the time being, the military retains a prevailing role in the life and institutions of Myanmar. State institutions in general remain unaccountable and the judiciary is not yet functioning as an independent branch of the State. Moreover, the rule of law cannot yet be said to exist in Myanmar. In that regard, tackling the impunity and systematic discrimination in Rakhine State represents a particular challenge which, if left unaddressed, could jeopardize the entire reform process. 68. A change of mindset still needs to take place within all levels of Government to allow civil society, political parties and a free media to flourish beyond the limited freedoms that have currently been granted. The energy and enthusiasm of the younger generation and of women needs to be allowed to come through, which will, in turn, reinvigorate the reform process and ensure that Myanmar secures a successful transition. As part of the transition, addressing the past will also become increasingly important. 69. A critical step will be to secure ceasefire and political agreements with ethnic minority groups, so that Myanmar can finally transform itself into a peaceful multiethnic and multi-religious society. 70. The transition in Myanmar requires systematic support from the international community, including in the form of technical assistance and capacity development. It will also be essential for Myanmar to build on its progress of engagement on human rights, which should include the establishment of an OHCHR country office with a full mandate. 71. The Special Rapporteur hopes that his time on this mandate has helped to improve the human rights situation of the people of Myanmar. After nine visits to the country, he is aware of the value that the people place on this mandate, and highlights the importance of it continuing to help keep human rights near the top of the reform agenda of Myanmar. 72. The Special Rapporteur praises the cooperation extended by the Government of Myanmar to this mandate. He believes that this cooperation represents a good example of how States can progress on human rights through engagement with the international community as envisioned in the Charter of the United Nations. IV. Recommendations 73. Regarding prisoners of conscience, the Government should: (a) Continue to convene meetings of the prisoner review committee and upgrade the status of the committee to enable it to investigate suspected cases of prisoners of conscience, including in Rakhine State, which entails access to prisons and the authority to question relevant state officials; 17