With just hours remaining before the United Nations Security Council is due to be briefed on Burma by deputy secretary general Ibrihim Gambari, Burma watchers and activists are anxiously hoping for a positive outcome.

Some groups have expressed disappointment over Secretary General Kofi Annan’s decision no to give the briefing personally.

Several Canadian organisations, including the Canadian Friends of Burma and the Burma Forum Canada, sent a letter to Annan yesterday saying the delegation of the task to another official could lessen the briefing’s impact.

“Although you had been requested by several governments to personally brief the UNSC on the situation in Burma, we were disappointed to learn that this task has been delegated to other senior UN officials,” the letter said.

“We are concerned that this decision communicates to the international community that the situation in Burma as not being at a critical stage, and not threatening collective peace and security in the region.”

But other groups have said the decision over the deliverer of the briefing should not lessen the significance of the briefing itself.

Jeremy Woodrum from the US Campaign for Burma told Mizzima, ” It is not important who briefs the Council, but we feel it is very important that the Secretary General or a high-level envoy attend and contribute to the discussion. We would like to see high-level involvement from the United Nations continue.”

All eyes are on the Security Council as Burma groups wait to see if years of campaigning and lobbying the UN will be fruitful.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Refugees International have all released statements in the lead-up to the event calling for council members to make the most of the opportunity to discuss Burma for the first time.

Burma Campaign UK’s director Yvette Mahon described the briefing as a, “key milestone on the road to freedom in Burma”, in a statement today saying, “The Security Council should have begun this process years ago . . . This must be a first step towards passing a binding resolution requiring the restoration of democracy to Burma”.