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STATEMENT BY

H.E. MR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

AT THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE ON

AGENDA ITEM 132: THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT AND

THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, ETHNIC CLEANSING AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

 

 

Mr. President,

 

At the 2005 World Summit 20 years ago, we agreed that “the international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity”. We have also recognised the prohibition of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity as peremptory norms of international law, or jus cogens. As such, the prevention of these heinous acts is not a suggestion. It is an obligation.

 

2. Regrettably, these crimes are occurring or are at risk of occurring in various conflicts around the world.  Many reports from experts, including UN officials and advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice have warned of a plausible genocide – a horrendous crime to which we have collectively said “never again” almost 80 years ago – might currently be taking place in the occupied Palestinian territory. In fact, horrific acts that fit the characteristics of all four atrocity crimes we are discussing today are being committed brazenly in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet, the Security Council, whose task as per the Charter is the maintenance of international peace and security, remains paralysed and impotent, despite the will for collective action by an overwhelming majority of its members, due to the veto of a permanent member. Simply put, such action makes a mockery of our pledge to protect humanity and is an affront to international law.  It is also a sully to the memory of victims of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

 

3. Further compounding the unspeakable atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank is the continued supply of arms, ammunition and financial resources to the perpetrator of the atrocity crimes. Those countries must be reminded of their responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians.  More than 56,000 have been killed since Israel started its war in Gaza nearly two years ago, and more than seventy percent of them are women and children.  Continuing supplying Israel with arms and ammunition run a real risk of being complicit in Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians.

 

4. Palestinians, like any other civilians, deserve to be protected from a genocidal war.  Palestinians are not sub-human, like what their occupiers perceive them to be, and must be protected from being killed, and forcibly displaced from their homeland.  Israel, like any other aggressor country, must be held accountable for the crimes that it commits.  Impunity will only encourage even more violations, and undermine the rules based order that we, the international community has been working long and hard to forge and protect.

 

Mr. President,

 

5. Calls for the protection of civilians and respect for international law ring hollow if double standards continue to prevail. As such, we must use all necessary means to help protect all peoples, without fear or favour, from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

 

6. While decisive action from the Security Council will significantly contribute towards this objective, States, in their individual and collective capacity, can also take meaningful actions in this regard. We commend those who have suspended bilateral, trade and social relations with Israel since the start of its genocidal war against Palestinians. We welcome the imposition of sanctions on the extremist Israeli Ministers Belzalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir by a number of countries, though such sanctions should be expanded to also include other Israeli leaders who continue to incite hatred, dehumanise Palestinians, encourage illegal acts and provoke hostilities and conflicts. We again reiterate our plea for all Member States to halt the provision of arms and financial support to Israel, so as to not be complicit in Israel’s illegal war and occupation.

 

7. In conclusion, Malaysia stands ready to work closely with the UN and its member states in the development of options to strengthen civilian action to prevent atrocity crimes against all peoples, regardless of their ethnicity nationality or religion.  We must do everything we can to ensure that “never again” is not a mere slogan, but a lived reality for all.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.