Brunei Darussalam

At the outset. I am honoured to convey the warm greetings of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah. Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, to this year’s session of the General Assembly. My congratulations go to His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis and the friendly nation of Trinidad and Tobago on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I wish His Excellency a successful year. I thank His Excellency Mr. Csaba Korosi for his leadership as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. I also sincerely appreciate His Excellency Secretary- General Antonio Guterres for his continuous hard work and valuable contributions to serving the international community during these challenging times in pursuit of global peace, prosperity and development. As we have approached the midway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this is an opportune time for reflection on our shared vision for a sustainable world and to undertake recalibrations in areas where more work is needed. In July this year. Brunei Darussalam presented its second voluntary national review report, highlighting our progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have made significant strides and are on track across several Goals, in line with our national vision. Wawasan Brunei 2035. which aims to create a dynamic and sustainable economy with a high quality of life for all citizens. However, like many other countries, we too faced challenges. For us. this was mainly in the area of reliable data collection. It has hindered monitoring and evaluating accurately the progress towards achieving the SDGs. Nonetheless, our country is actively working towards addressing that issue, including by working together more closely through our regional mechanisms, namely, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). For example. ASEAN recently signed an agreement to officially launch the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change in Brunei Darussalam. It will facilitate and assist in collecting data towards addressing the challenges of climate action and will serve as a regional hub and research facility that seeks to enhance capacity in our efforts to mitigate and combat climate change. The Centre will be operational by the end of the year, and we welcome any support from interested Member States or international organizations for that regional effort. The United Nations has always played, and continues to play, a central role in fostering collaboration, mobilizing resources and coordinating international efforts to bring peace, development and prosperity to all Member States. As we move towards a new global order in a multipolar world, small States such as Brunei Darussalam recognize and appreciate the importance of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security through a rules-based order. We will continue to uphold the very principles on which this Organization was founded almost eight decades ago. in particular respect for the sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of all States. Therefore. Brunei Darussalam is ready to forge a new global consensus that preserves those values while addressing emerging issues and resolving existing challenges. We look forward to next year’s Summit of the Future and the continued discussions among Member States on the future of global cooperation, including the Secretary-General’s proposed vision under Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). This year’s theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity” builds upon the Secretary-General’s vision for the future of multilateralism that better responds and delivers for the people and the planet and to get the world back on track with the SDGs. Nevertheless, in our increasingly interconnected modern world, trust and solidarity can be achieved only with tolerance and respect. That is why it has been distressing to witness the increase in acts of intolerance and disrespect, particularly acts of religious hatred directed at the Islamic faith. Such deliberate actions, like the burning of the Holy Qur’an, the very centre of the Islamic faith, provokes disharmony, erodes trust, undermines efforts towards sustainable peace and threatens unity. In that regard. Brunei Darussalam joins the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and those Member States that have called for increased action against religious hatred, especially Islamophobia and anti-Islam sentiments. Justifying religious hatred, even under the pretext of freedom of expression, is unacceptable. Our pursuit of peace will be worthwhile only if we address the root causes of such acts, especially those promoting discord, intolerance, incitement and hatred. No nation represents our collective failure more evidently than the State of Palestine. It has continuously been denied of its fundamental freedoms, safeguarded under the Charter of the United Nations. The seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba earlier this year served as a reminder of how long and how intolerable it has been for the Palestinian people to be deprived of their rights to self-rule, self-determination and peace. For most, they have spent their entire lives under occupation. The aggressive policies and practices of the occupying Power have victimized every Palestinian man. woman and child, denying them of all their fundamental and basic human rights and even their ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Brunei Darussalam strongly condemns actions that blatantly violate the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. We stand firmly in solidarity with them to truly ensure that no one is left behind. The United Nations must strengthen global solidarity in upholding its commitment to the two-State solution as the viable path towards a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. We reiterate our call for an independent State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. After experiencing a global health crisis with far-reaching consequences, we are at a crossroads that will determine our future. One was hoping that we would have emerged more united in our shared resolve. Unfortunately, the reality that we see is quite different. We find ourselves amid humanitarian crises and the global mistrust of international institutions and among States that threaten our collective progress. Therefore, to ensure a better future for generations to come, it is crucial that we refuse to accept actions that divide us or conflicts that oppress us. Above all. we must not let mistrust overpower our unity.