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

AT THE UNITED NATIONS DAY FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

 

NEW YORK, 10 SEPTEMBER 2020

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Mr. Moderator,

Thank you for organising this important event. My delegation wishes to align ourselves with the G77’s statement delivered by the representative of Guyana.

Excellencies/Ladies and gentlemen,

2.         South-South Cooperation is an important component of international cooperation. It remains as valid and relevant today as when they were first enshrined in the Buenos Aires Plan of Action or BAPA, 42 years ago. In fact, it is more important than ever as the international community struggles to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.         We have heard how the current global crisis has pushed us further away from achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Goals. The pandemic has impacted not only our public health system but also affecting the economy and social institutions of our country. 

4.         For Malaysia, South-South Cooperation is an enabler for exchanges and sharing of knowledge, best practices and resources among developing countries and other stakeholders on a multitude of issues. Hence, we continue to believe that South-South Cooperation offers a unique pathway to accelerate progress that leaves no one behind.

5.         The urgent need for solutions to COVID-19 has also opened a window of opportunity for South-South cooperation initiatives in health and related areas. For instance, in our experience, we are using locally developed digital technology to curb the spread of the pandemic and subsequently reduce the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Malaysia

6.         In our common battle against COVID-19, Malaysia believes that solidarity among the international community is crucial, particularly in research and development of a lasting cure especially among countries of the Global South. No country should be left out in this respect or confined to substandard treatment as the testing ground for COVID-19 vaccine trials, but in reality, has no access or means to procure the vaccine later. In this regard, we are concerned with the trend by some countries in vaccine hoarding as it would hamper collective solidarity towards equitable access and harms efforts to halt the pandemic.

Excellencies/ladies and gentlemen,

7.         At the Second High-Level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40) in 2019, we called for the strengthening of South-South trade cooperation.

8.         For Malaysia, trade and investment is the most significant form of South-South Cooperation, notably as trade has always been recognised as an indispensable tool for economic growth, development and for bringing societies out of poverty.

9.         We recognised the exponential increase in trade between developing countries in the last decade. South-South trade increased from USD0.6 trillion in 1995 to USD4 trillion in 2016, making up almost 29% of global trade.[1] This trend is a powerful reminder of the opportunity and capacity that exists within the South, especially as we are formulating ways to “build back better” from the pandemic impacts.

Excellencies/ladies and gentlemen,

10.       On this important anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to this invaluable means of achieving sustainable development and improving the lives of billions of people in the Global South and beyond.

11.       Malaysia stands ready to work with other countries, consistent with our national capability, including through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), in supporting practical and shared solutions to the challenges faced by developing countries in battling the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I thank you for your kind attention.