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STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR SYED MOHD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE 76^TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

 

Madam Chair,

 

At the outset, Malaysia joins others in congratulating you on your election as Chair of the Committee as well as to members of the Bureau.

 

2.     My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered respectively by the Permanent Representative of Guinea on behalf of the G77 and China, and the Permanent Representative of Brunei, on behalf of ASEAN.

 

Madam Chair,

 

3.     Malaysia remains concerned and fretful on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected humanity. The pandemic has claimed close to 4.8 million lives globally and we cannot turn a blind eye to the grossly imbalanced global vaccination rollout, as populations in developing countries particularly the LDCs remain under-vaccinated.

 

4.     We must face the pandemic head-on to recover and build back better. Vaccine equity is not only key to saving lives but also an urgent development priority to the global south. In this regard, Malaysia echoes the call for better coordination in ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

 

5.     We believe that multilateral cooperation through the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and the COVAX Facility is crucial in attaining sustainable and resilient recovery from the pandemic. We also believe in the need to increase global production capacity of vaccines to overcome the vaccine divide.

 

6.     Domestically, the Government of Malaysia has introduced the National Recovery Plan as our strategy to recover from the health crisis. To date, we have managed to achieve 89% of full vaccination of Malaysia’s adult population.

 

Madam Chair,

                         

7.     Sustainable Development is a key principle in Malaysia’s development planning. We have embedded the SDGs in our five-year development plans since 2016. In July this year, Malaysia presented our Voluntary National Review at the HLPF – our second reporting on the progress of implementation of SDGs.

 

8.     On 27 September 2021, the Malaysian Government unveiled its 12^th Malaysia Plan (2021 – 2025) with the objective of transforming the nation into a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable country. The Plan would further contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Malaysia in the next five years.

 

Madam Chair,

 

9.     In stepping up efforts on climate action, Malaysia continues to transition to a greener socio-economic ecosystem by incorporating the concept of Circular Economy to create more sustainable and responsible businesses and investments in the country. Malaysia has also recently renewed its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards attaining the goals of the Paris Agreement. We hope that other countries will also join us in renewing their NDCs.

 

10.     In view of the upcoming COP 26, we must work together to tackle the climate crisis through collaboration between governments and multi-stakeholders. In reaching the global goal of net-zero emissions, Malaysia calls on developed countries to take the lead in providing new, adequate and consistent financial assistance and technological transfer to support developing countries in their mitigation efforts, as well as adaptation to climate change, including through the mobilisation of the pledged climate finance of USD 100 billion annually.

 

11.     As for Malaysia, we will continue to fulfil our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions up to 45% to GDP by 2030. Malaysia is also devising plans to introduce carbon pricing and carbon tax, and to increase its share of renewable energy to a target of 31% of the total energy mix by 2025.

 

Madam Chair,

 

12.     The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that embracing digitalisation would improve resiliency in the economy. Realising this, Malaysia is providing incentives in the form of soft loans to foster digitalisation and technology adoption to support local companies. We hope to achieve the target of 25.5% digital economy contribution to GDP in 2025, through the implementation of various digital initiatives including through the National Digital Identity Initiative and National Digital Network Plan.

 

13.     Malaysia also remains committed to bridging the digital divide in the country by enhancing digital infrastructure and services. To narrow the gap between rural and urban areas, the Government is enhancing digital infrastructure facilities by integrating internet community centres in rural areas. This would improve the participation of the local community in eCommerce, skills training, learning and community activities.

 

Madam Chair,

 

14.     As a trading nation, Malaysia reiterates on the importance of a free and fair multilateral trading system. This has become more important than ever as we move towards recovering from the pandemic.In addition, we wish to underscore the role of international cooperation in strengthening global supply chain resilience and ensuring unimpeded cross-border flows of food, agricultural, medical and other essential supplies.

 

Madam Chair,

 

15.     Our progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda has been greatly impacted due to the pandemic. We now have less than 10 years to ensure that we get back on track and this demands us to re-double our collective efforts. Malaysia will continue to engage with all multi-stakeholders in this Decade of Action to build a better and more resilient global community.

 

16.     I wish to conclude by assuring you that my delegation will engage constructively in the work of this Committee.

 

I thank you.