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STATEMENT BY

H.E. MR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

AT THE 59^TH PLENARY MEETING OF THE 78^TH SESSION OF THE

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

AGENDA ITEM 63: USE OF THE VETO

 

 

Mr. President,

 

My delegation thanks you for convening today’s plenary meeting following the veto cast by a permanent member of the Security Council during its meeting on 20 February 2024 under the agenda item “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”. We align ourselves with the statement of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation delivered earlier by the representative of Pakistan.

 

Mr. President,

 

2.         Malaysia profoundly regrets the exercise of the veto, which had prevented the Security Council from adopting a crucial draft resolution, presented by Algeria. The text, among others, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, rejected the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, and called for full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access. Support towards the text by 13 members of the Council clearly showed that there was agreement among a large majority of the Council. Alas, this clarion call by the majority of the members of the Council as well as the General Assembly did not come to pass.

 

3.         The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The ruthless war waged in Gaza for more than 150 days now, has beyond doubt proven to be a grave threat to international peace and security. However, the continued paralysis in the Council has prevented it from discharging its mandate, and allowed the carnage and collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, women and children alike, to persist.

 

4.       The death toll in Gaza is beyond appalling. Women, children, humanitarian and health workers, journalists and media personnel, and UN staff have all fallen victim to the barbarism of Israel. The humanitarian condition has long been described as dire as aid supplies continue to be denied or severely impeded. Bombardments persist incessantly in all parts of the Gaza Strip.  For months, we have heard repeatedly from UN staff and international aid workers that nowhere is safe in Gaza.   Last Thursday, we witnessed the killing of more than 100 innocent, hungry civilians waiting for long-overdue food aid delivery. How many more innocent people must die before those who oppose a ceasefire in Gaza, would finally see that enough is enough?

 

5.         Israel has brazenly violated every facet of international law with utter impunity, especially international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Israel disregards its duty to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Security Council resolutions and the order of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice are blatantly cast aside. Israel continues to trample the rule of law, as it is confident that it will not be held to account for its belligerence, so long as it enjoys the patronage of a permanent member of the Security Council.

 

6.         The impunity enjoyed by Israel challenges the legitimacy of international law. It undermines efforts towards a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the conflict, and further derails the realisation of the two-State solution.

 

Mr. President,

 

7.         It is time for the aggressor to be compelled to abide by the rule of law. First, States should immediately halt the sale and supply of arms and ammunition to Israel. Second, financial support for Israel to continue this horrific aggression must be terminated now. Third, punitive measures such as sanctions, visa denials and travel restrictions should be imposed on members of the settler communities, to hold them accountable for their illegal actions and reprehensible violence.

 

8.         Malaysia categorically rejects and condemns plans to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza proposed by some Israeli Ministers and lawmakers, as well as the recent decision of the Israeli Knesset to deny the Palestinian people their inalienable right to self-determination. Forced displacement is a clear violation of international law. These resettlement measures, which are akin to ethnic cleansing, must not be allowed to occur.

 

9.         We join other Member States in calling on the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility in maintaining international peace and security. The Council must act swiftly, responsibly and decisively, to stop Israel’s unlawful collective punishment of Palestinians. We firmly believe that bilateral or regional diplomatic efforts complement actions of the Council and reject the argument that Council action will undermine such efforts.

 

10.       We reaffirm our utmost support towards the full membership of Palestine to the United Nations. It is high time that we realise this long-overdue recognition.

Mr. President,

 

11.       A humanitarian ceasefire was needed months ago. Thousands of lives could have been saved had a permanent member of the Security Council not defied the call of the overwhelming majority and provided Israel the cover to persist with its mass atrocities, collectively punishing the entire Gazan population. Opposing such a ceasefire simply means one thing – complicity in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

 

Mr. President,

 

12.       The veto and its undemocratic nature runs against the very principles that the United Nations was built upon. It has no place in a modern and democratic multilateral architecture. Malaysia maintains its position that the exercise of the veto by permanent members of the Security Council should be regulated to deter it from being used unjustifiably or abused. Its application must be prohibited in situations involving mass atrocity crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes.  We are also of the view that to be effective and more accountable, the veto should be exercised by at least two of the five permanent members, and supported by three non-permanent members of the Council. This decision must then be supported by the General Assembly with a simple majority vote. However, we maintain that ultimately, the veto needs to be abolished altogether. Malaysia will continue to work constructively with other Member States through the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Security Council reform, towards improving the United Nations to make it more efficient, open, transparent, and inclusive.

 

I thank you.