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INTERVENTION BY

THE HONOURABLE NORAINI AHMAD

MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF MALAYSIA

FOR PARIT SULONG

 

AT THE SIDE EVENT ON

"GLOBAL SOLIDARITY WITH AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS"

 

19 SEPTEMBER 2023, 1.15 – 2.30 PM

CONFERENCE ROOM 2, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

 

Excellency,

 

2.      Malaysia welcomes efforts by the international community to assist Afghanistan. Among others, we welcome the establishment of the Humanitarian Trust Fund by the OIC in December 2021. The Malaysian Government has contributed one hundred thousand US dollars (USD100,000) to this fund. Additionally, we also made a contribution of two hundred thousand US dollars (USD200,000) to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund last year.

 

3.      Malaysia emphasises that culture and religion should not be manipulated to curtail fundamental rights especially of women and girls. Women and girls’ involvement and contribution in nation building is imperative towards achieving development, progress and prosperity.

 

4.      Restricting their access to employment, education and public engagements, runs contrary to Afghanistan’s obligations under the international human rights and humanitarian law. In realising the 2030 Agenda, Afghan women and girls must be accorded equal opportunities.

 

5.      Malaysia welcomes the recent engagement between the de facto authorities and a group of Muslim scholars, including three from Malaysia, aimed at addressing the rights of women within the framework of Islamic principles and values.

 

6.      Malaysia urges the international community to continue engaging Afghanistan through collective global efforts to prevent a total collapse of the country’s socio-economic conditions. Constructive, open and frank engagement must be at the heart of our collective efforts.

 

7.      In this context, we welcome the new Strategic Framework for Afghanistan for the period 2023-2025, launched by UNAMA. We hope that the priorities in the framework will contribute to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Our efforts must be pursued in tandem with fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles through Afghan-owned and Afghan-led processes.

 

8.      In conclusion, Malaysia reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and impresses upon the de-facto authorities to respect rights and freedoms of all Afghans, especially of women and children, in line with the teachings of Islam. We stand ready to collaborate and assist Afghanistan, including through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.

 

I thank you.