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STATEMENT BY

HIS EXCELLENCY AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

AT THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE

“EFFECTIVE MULTILATERALISM THROUGH THE DEFENCE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS”

 

24 APRIL 2023, NEW YORK

 

 

 

Mr President,

 

At the outset, I would like to thank Russia as President of the Security Council for convening today’s open debate. Malaysia also extends its appreciation to Secretary General António Guterres for his briefing. Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan on behalf of NAM.

 

Mr. President,

 

2.         The convening of this open debate is timely, as the world continues to be bitterly divided. There have been proliferations of conflicts and multiple failures in peace efforts. Sufferings continue in places like Palestine, Myanmar and Ukraine, just to name a few. Around the world, there is growing hatred and mistrust, increasing threat of extremism and terrorism, as well as continued proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.   

 

Mr. President,

 

3.         The United Nations came into existence 78 years ago with a vision to be the guardian of international peace and security, a promoter of human rights, a protector of international law and an engineer of socioeconomic advancement. As the UN Charter stipulates, the common denominator is world peace. Yet the prevailing crises that we witness today only reaffirm that multilateralism is under tremendous threat. To preserve the centrality of the United Nations as the bedrock of international cooperation, there is a need to defend and strengthen the organisation in order to make it fit to confront increasingly complex global challenges.

 

4.         For these reasons, Malaysia firmly believes that it is in our collective interest to work together to uphold this system, which is based on our shared universal values. All Member States must remain united in our collective effort to uphold and respect the purposes and principles of the United Nations as enshrined in its Charter. We must intensify our dialogue and cooperation for the purpose of safeguarding these principles and multilateralism. As prescribed in the Charter, the United Nations has been and remains at the forefront of various international and multilateral efforts to combat challenges and maintain international peace and security.

 

5.         Malaysia also reiterates in full support, the ASEAN Leader’s Declaration on Upholding Multilateralism adopted at the 38^th ASEAN Summit in 2021, and reaffirms its belief that regionalism and multilateralism are vital means for global cooperation.  The strength and value of such systems lie in their rules- based nature, inclusivity, transparency and openness, based on mutual benefit and respect.

 

6.         The UN Secretary General’s Our Common Agenda Report and its recommendations, in our view, sets forth the right visions and strategies towards ensuring that the multilateral system works in a coordinated manner, towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It presents an opportunity for Member States to cooperate more effectively through common global platforms.

 

Mr. President,

 

7.         Malaysia has always premised its foreign policy on constructive cooperation through multilateralism. Malaysia in this regard will continue to work closely with all stakeholders through positive participation in various multilateral fora.

 

I thank you.