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STATEMENT : GENERAL DEBATE OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE 78TH SESSION OF THE UNGA, 4 OCTOBER 2023
STATEMENT BY
H.E. MR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL DEBATE OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE
78TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 4 OCTOBER 2023
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Mr. Chair,
At the outset, may I congratulate you and members of the Bureau on your election, and assure you of my delegation’s full support for your work.
2. Malaysia aligns itself with the statements delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the NAM, and by the Philippines on behalf of ASEAN.
3. In times of heightened geopolitical tension, the First Committee retains a key role as a universal body for deliberation on disarmament and international security issues. Confronted with rising threats to the multilateral system, it is vital that Member States demonstrate renewed political will to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, as declared in the UN Charter.
4. Even as we face multi-faceted socio-economic challenges threatening humanity and our planet, a select group of States continues to invest in the constant upgrading of nuclear arsenals. The qualitative improvement of, and quantitative increase in, nuclear weapons is a matter of great concern.
5. The persistence and expansion of nuclear sharing arrangements, premised on the false logic of “deterrence”, is yet another deeply disconcerting trend. Malaysia also condemns unequivocally any and all nuclear threats, whether explicit or implicit, and irrespective of the circumstances.
6. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime. However, the credibility and integrity of the NPT are under great strain.
7. The consecutive failure of the 9th and 10th NPT Review Conferences to adopt a substantive outcome has brought States Parties into uncharted territory. The full and effective implementation of NPT obligations and commitments is imperative in ensuring advancement towards a nuclearweapon-free world and maximising the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology.
8. The first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 11th NPT Review Conference, recently held in Vienna, reminds us of the prevailing trust deficit among States Parties, and the need to redouble our efforts to find common ground. The preservation of universal principles of multilateral engagement and the established framework of the NPT review process is essential, in the interest of maintaining the Treaty’s relevance and credibility.
9. In terms of arms control, Malaysia calls on the parties to the New START Treaty to ensure its continued implementation, and to maintain limits on the deployment of strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems, pending their total elimination.
Mr. Chair,
10. For so long as nuclear weapons exist, the spectre of nuclear annihilation will loom over humanity. The fate of the world cannot be allowed to rest precariously on the judicious decision-making of States armed with these abhorrent weapons of mass destruction.
11. My delegation firmly believes in the value of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), a landmark instrument reflecting the urgency of realising a nuclear-weapon-free world. We look forward to the convening of the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW (2MSP) in New York at the end of this year.
12. Malaysia is honoured to serve, together with South Africa, as Co-Chair of the informal working group on universalization of the TPNW. In this role, we facilitated the convening of a TPNW high-level signing ceremony, under the Treaty Event of the UN Office of Legal Affairs, in New York on 19 September 2023. Malaysia welcomes the signature of the TPNW by The Bahamas, and accession to the TPNW by Sri Lanka, during the ceremony. We commend these States for their decisive action in consolidating the TPNW. My delegation reaffirms that the TPNW is fully compatible with, and complementary to, the NPT.
13. Nuclear-weapon-free zones play a critical role in safeguarding nations against the scourge of nuclear weapons, through legally binding negative security assurances on the part of the Nuclear-Weapon States. In this regard, Malaysia underscores the need to continuously engage all the NWS, and intensify efforts of all parties to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the SEANWFZ Treaty.
14. Further, we call on the remaining Annex 2 States to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as soon as possible, so as to enable its entry into force and thereby proscribe nuclear testing under international law.
15. During the present session, Malaysia will again table in the First Committee our annual resolution entitled “Follow-Up to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons”. We call on all delegations to support this resolution, recognising the enduring salience of the Court’s opinion.
16. Malaysia remains gravely concerned over the developments in relation to the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. It is crucial for the concerned parties to resume dialogue to achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
Mr. Chair,
17. Malaysia condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances. The use of such weapons is abhorrent and a flagrant violation of international law - in particular, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Those responsible for the deployment and use of such weapons must be held accountable.
18. My delegation also supports efforts to universalise the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and ensure adherence to its provisions. In line with Article IV of the BWC, Malaysia is currently in the process of adopting its national Biological Weapons Bill which will be part of Malaysia’s legislative framework vis-à-vis implementation of the Convention.
19. Malaysia remains committed to acceding to international treaties governing the use and exploration of outer space. In line with this commitment, Malaysia has endorsed its 2030 National Space Policy and, in January 2022, gazetted legislation on outer space activities.
20. We are also deeply concerned over the illicit transfer, manufacture and circulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread in many regions of the world. Malaysia strongly calls for the full, balanced and effective implementation of the UN Programme of Action (UN PoA) to prevent the illicit spread of these weapons.
21. In countering emerging threats in the cyber domain, Malaysia recognises the value of the Open-Ended Working Group on ICT Security (2021-2025). We welcome the consensus adoption of the OEWG’s second annual progress report, which sets out a solid basis for its work in the year ahead.
Mr. Chair,
22. Malaysia looks forward to engaging with all Member States as we navigate the challenges at hand, and develop multilateral initiatives in the interest of advancing disarmament and international security through the First Committee.
Thank you.