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STATEMENT BY

MR. SOFIAN AKMAL ABD. KARIM

DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO

THE UNITED NATIONS

 

HIGH-LEVEL PLENARY MEETING

TO COMMEMORATE AND PROMOTE THE INTERNATIONAL DAY

FOR THE TOTAL ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

 

NEW YORK, 26 SEPTEMBER 2023

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Mr. President,

 

Malaysia associates itself with the statements delivered by Azerbaijan and Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN, respectively.

 

2.     We come together on this commemorative day to speak with one voice - to stand in defence of our world, and our future. And to reject the claim that nuclear disarmament is some impossible utopian dream.

 

3.     Still, we are witnessing the modernisation of nuclear arsenals, alongside the development of new types of nuclear weapons and signs of a renewed arms race - a far cry from what is enshrined under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

 

4.     More than a half-century after the NPT’s entry into force, the international community remains in the long shadow cast by the very existence and possession of nuclear weapons. The resurgence of nuclear rhetoric and threats is a matter of great concern, together with unceasing expansion, both qualitatively and quantitatively, of nuclear arsenals.

 

5.     The continued prominence accorded to nuclear weapons in the military concepts, doctrines and policies of particular States - both nationally and collectively - is impossible to reconcile with the aspirations for peace, security and sustainable development for all. The abolition of nuclear weapons doctrines and the total elimination of nuclear weapons must be pursued as a matter of priority.

 

Mr. President,

 

6.     It is imperative for the new review cycle of the NPT to produce meaningful outcomes and provide additional momentum towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. The full and effective implementation of NPT obligations and commitments, particularly those undertaken by the nuclear-weapon States on nuclear disarmament, remains imperative.

 

7.     Prevailing geopolitical exigencies should spur us to set high ambitions for nuclear disarmament, rather than indefinitely defer the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Strong political will among NPT States Parties is essential in preserving the credibility and integrity of the Treaty.

 

8.     Malaysia’s firm position on nuclear disarmament is also reflected in our support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which complements the NPT and places the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons at the forefront. The TPNW has an important role to play in strengthening international humanitarian law and the global norm against nuclear weapons.

 

9.     We welcome the recent signature of the TPNW by The Bahamas and accession to the TPNW by Sri Lanka. 

 

Mr. President,

 

10.     The nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime remains at a critical juncture. There can and must be a different trajectory, in order to preserve its credibility. Malaysia firmly believes that multilateral cooperation is the only way to deal with issues of global concern.

 

11.     Without eliminating nuclear weapons, there can be no peace, no trust and no sustainable future. Let us honour this commemorative day with renewed and genuine efforts, in word and deed, towards the realisation of a world free of nuclear weapons.

 

Thank you.