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STATEMENT BY

MR. NIZHAN FARAZ RIZAL

SECOND SECRETARY

PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

DURING THE DEBATE ON AGENDA ITEM 14: CULTURE OF PEACE

77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

14 JUNE 2023, GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL, UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK

 

Mr. President,

 

Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Brunei Darussalam on behalf of ASEAN and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity.

 

2.       At the outset, we thank the Secretary-General for his report on the Promotion of a Culture of Peace as contained in document A/77/614. Our meeting today is an opportune moment to reflect on the recently-concluded International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures, and where we stand at this juncture.

 

3.       Regrettably, after 24 years since the Declaration and Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace was adopted, the paramount objective of peace appears to be further out of reach. Many parts of the world are currently embroiled in conflict, unrest and upheaval, both recent and longstanding. Peaceful settlement of disputes is being cast aside in favour of escalation of tensions. We are living in volatile times not seen since the end of the Second World War.

 

4.       Further compounding the situation are acts of terror as well as hate crimes emanating from racial and religious discrimination, as well as xenophobia. While we have seen efforts to increase awareness and address these concerning trends, including through the proclamation of International Days, the level of vigour in combatting some of these phenomena, for example, Islamophobia, remains lacklustre.

 

Mr. President,

 

5.       The dire situation we face today is a case in point of the importance of cultivating a culture of peace. It is imperative that respect for peace and non-violence, inter-cultural dialogue and social inclusion is fostered globally. Peaceful coexistence between nations, peoples, faiths and cultures must be vigorously promoted. The culture of peace is an important dimension of international commitment towards the promotion of mutual understanding and cooperation, towards achieving global peace.

 

6.       The promotion of interactions among States as well as peoples from diverse faiths, cultures and values is imperative to develop understanding, acceptance and appreciation of our distinctiveness. This would in turn contribute towards strengthening global peace and security, a prerequisite for sustainable economic and social development. As a multicultural, multi-racial and multi-religious country, Malaysia strongly believes that mutual understanding, respect and tolerance among religions, cultures and peoples, forms the bedrock of the culture of peace. We also believe that embracing and adopting the culture of peace must begin at home. In line with this spirit, the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia introduced the ‘Malaysia Madani’ concept, centred on six core values namely sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust, and compassion, as an expression of Malaysia’s desire to create a humanistic nation based on our civilisational values.

 

Mr. President,

 

7.       The status quo is unsustainable. The cultivation of a culture of peace globally is important now more than ever. It is imperative that we cast aside inflammatory rhetoric and instead embrace meaningful dialogue. Every layer of society, from Governments to the individual person, share the collective responsibility of promoting and upholding global peace. I end with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding”.

 

I thank you, Mr President.