First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I am confident that under his leadership, this session will be conducted with efficiency and effectiveness. I would also like to express my appreciation to the previous President, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, for his excellent leadership of the seventy-sixth session in the face of various constraints and challenges.
Malaysia welcomes the theme chosen for this year’s session of the General Assembly, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. We believe that the theme is most apt for the situation we are going through together. During the seventy-sixth session of General Assembly, we heard a high level of commitment and pledged to work together. That has given hope to the world. Numerous statements were issued, all inspiring hope, including in me, that the spirit of a world family would allow us to set aside our differences. That commitment enables us to rise from the pandemic and together overcome the challenges we face.
Even so, that spirit of optimism is fading. I am concerned by the challenges that remain unaddressed and are , in fact, deteriorating. Many challenges remain unresolved. A major lesson the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic taught us is that we cannot run from every challenge that confronts us. Being selfish and not caring about the impact on others will only generate mistrust in international cooperation.
In an interconnected world, the policies and decisions of some countries can affect others. For example, in addressing the current inflation around the world, one country’s monetary policy and control of interest rates has an impact on other countries. That is where cooperation and coordination among countries need to be stepped up if we are to achieve the goal of a more just economic well-being for all.
In an international financial and monetary structure that is still dominated by a few major Powers, and in the context of world economic recovery, domestic monetary decisions have to be adjusted by taking the reality and needs of developing countries into account. In that connection, Malaysia urges Member States to establish a cooperative international monetary mechanism to build a more effective and just system that is able to balance the needs of global development.
One truth that we should not forget is that conflicts have nothing but negative effects for the whole world. It is because of conflict that we are now facing various problems, such as lack of nutrients and food resources. In that regard, Malaysia calls on all countries to emphasize the issue of food security so as to guarantee sufficient food resources for all.
The United Nations Charter and international law are there to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes between countries. The Charter and the laws set the limits of a country’s pursuit of its own interests. Based on that principle, Malaysia opposes violations of international law, including the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of any nation. When a conflict erupts, all parties have the responsibility to ease tension and prioritize the safety and lives of civilians. At the same time, the conflicting parties need to return to the negotiating table to stop the conflict as soon as possible.
Malaysia does not approve of the isolation of a country from international organizations. Such a measure is against the principle of multilateralism and hinders dialogue. The price to be paid for war is high. That is proven by the situation experienced by Ukraine. The effects are felt not only by the people and the country but also by the world. This conflict has threatened peace, global security and the economy, and undermined food security. Malaysia welcomes the creation of a sea corridor that allows for the shipment of grain from Ukraine. This is a positive step in addressing the food security problem. In that regard, Malaysia reiterates its insistence that all countries, especially the major Powers, refrain from creating isolation blocs that will only push the world towards a cold war. The world needs to realize that peace can be achieved only through dialogue and negotiation.
As for the occupied Palestinian territories, Malaysia is disappointed by the brutal occupation by Israel, which has been going on for a long time. The Palestinian people continue to live under the shackles of Israel’s discriminatory policies. Illegal settlements are becoming more widespread, in violation of international law, including Security Council resolution 2334 (2016). The most basic rights of the Palestinian people continue to be denied. Malaysia is therefore of the view that the major Powers need to be honest in resolving the issue of cruelty faced by the Palestinian people. The United Nations should take a firm stand to ensure that the longstanding crisis in Palestine is resolved quickly. Many countries today have been quick to act in the case of Ukraine. Malaysia wants the same action to be taken to resolve the issue of Palestine. Israel needs to stop being an apartheid entity!
Although we are still threatened by conflicts among countries, we cannot ignore other crises around the world. The pillar of strength for a conflict-free world is living together in a culture of peace. Malaysia, as a multiracial, multicultural and multireligious country, always supports and strives for the concept of peaceful coexistence among races, beliefs and cultures. Malaysia has played an important role in conflict resolution in South-East Asia. For example, Malaysia has been involved in the peace process between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front since 2001. In addition, Malaysia has always been proactive in helping to resolve regional crises and conflicts.
However, Malaysia has been disappointed with the situation in Myanmar since the coup that took place in February 2021. It is very saddening that the Security Council has taken no serious action to deal with the situation. Some even see the Security Council as having washed its hands of the matter and handing it over to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Malaysia is disappointed that there has been no meaningful progress in the implementation of the ASEAN five-point consensus, especially on the part of the Myanmar junta. The ASEAN five-point consensus cannot continue any longer in its current form. It needs to be given a new lease of life and refined based on a clearer framework, time frame and end goal. Even more important is that the aspirations of the people of Myanmar must be fulfilled.
The political crisis in Myanmar has also aggravated the situation of millions of Myanmar refugees, including the Rohingya refugees. Although Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, it has accepted nearly 200,000 Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds. It is the responsibility of all countries, including those participating in the Convention, to welcome and resettle more refugees. At the same time, Malaysia strongly emphasizes the importance of the world’s addressing the root cause of the Rohingya crisis. I believe that this issue will not be resolved as long as the crisis in the country continues.
The conflicts and crises that occur in the world, including in Ukraine, Palestine and Myanmar, cannot be resolved due to the debility of the global governance system and the United Nations. The biggest problem in the United Nations is the Security Council. The power of veto is often misused to favour the world Powers that have it. It is not democratic and violates the principles of democracy. That makes it impossible for conflicts to be resolved by any of the permanent members of the Council. In line with the principle of one-country one-vote, now is the time to abolish the veto power. As an Organization that brings the spirit and symbol of democracy to the world, the United Nations needs to return to its foundations.
Climate change is a universal problem that affects us all. Last year alone, Malaysia was struck by the most serious floods in its history, resulting in losses estimated at $1.4 billion or 6.1 billion ringgit. Many lives were lost and almost 100,000 people had to be moved to temporary evacuation centres. That situation arose not only in Malaysia but in several other countries as well. Clearly, mitigation and adaptation measures need to continue. The fact remains that developed countries must bear the responsibility of increasing aid for developing countries by fulfilling their commitment to providing an unconditional yearly allocation of $100 billion. That will help realize the actions taken against climate change that should have been implemented since 2020.
COVID-19 has slowed our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I stand here as the representative of a developing country to assert that the implementation and success of a greener and more sustainable socioeconomic development will be achieved with a fair and inclusive response to that pledge. The fact is that new technology is an incentive for nations to switch to renewable energy. However, that new technology must first be affordable to developing countries. In that regard, Malaysia is committed to shouldering its responsibilities and roles to ensure environmental conservation and sustainability. Malaysia has undertaken various measures in that context. For example, in the palm oil industry, Malaysia has introduced the Malaysian sustainable palm oil standard to meet requirements for the purpose of sustainable development.
Malaysia is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent, based on gross domestic product, by 2030. In that regard, Malaysia has set a target of achieving 31 per cent renewable energy use by 2025. Malaysia is also committed to achieving its goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The national energy policy 2022-2040 was implemented in Malaysia on 19 September to build macroeconomic resilience and energy supply security. Malaysia has agreed to establish a National SDG Centre to intensify SDG programmes and monitor their progress.
As one of only 17 biodiverse countries in the world, Malaysia is aware of its responsibility to maintain and preserve its natural resources for future generations. During the Earth Summit in 1992, Malaysia pledged to maintain at least 50 per cent of its land mass under forest and tree cover. Three decades on, the entire Malaysian territory today remains 54 per cent forested. That percentage will increase following ongoing aggressive reforestation measures.
Not only Malaysia, but the entire world also needs to be more sensitive to efforts to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals by 2030. In that regard, Malaysia welcomes the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, to be held next year. That effort is timely because it will give us the opportunity to look back at what has been achieved and what can be improved for the benefit of the world family.
We all share the same concerns on all the issues I have raised. Malaysia remains optimistic. I call on Member States to play their respective roles in overcoming the challenges we face. However, we have to do it together as one big family — the world family. United we stand; divided we fall. As long as we are united and strong together in shouldering this burden, I am sure we will succeed.
Today I invite the international community to work together by practicing the spirit of the world family in facing global challenges. Malaysia will continue to give its full commitment.