STATEMENT BY
H.E. SYED MOHAMAD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE OPEN VTC MEETING ON THE THEME “ENSURING TRANSPARENCY, EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE WORK OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL”
Mr. President,
- Thank you for convening today’s timely and important debate - both in your capacity as the Council President and Vice-Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. Malaysia would also like to commend St. Vincent and the Grenadines for its leadership and commitment on this issue, as Chair of the Informal Working Group.
- Malaysia also wishes to applaud the constant efforts of the Council in exploring practical working methods during these unprecedented circumstances. This clearly illustrates the importance of making sure that the Security Council is as agile and effective as possible in discharging its mandates on behalf of the wider UN membership.
Mr. President,
- The Council’s performance, credibility, and accountability are hugely defined by its working methods. In this regard, my delegation wishes to highlight the following points:
- First, on transparency and inclusiveness. Malaysia is pleased to see that progress has been made in enhancing transparency and accountability of the work of the Council. We note that there are increasing numbers of open debates with selected meetings covered by live-webcast. The greater use of Arria-formula meetings of the Council for engagement with the wider UN membership is also commendable. In addition, we commend the conduct of informal briefings as well as the introductory and wrap-up sessions by the President of the Security Council.
- We are also encouraged by the continuous monthly engagement between the President of the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly. The readout of this engagement, which is circulated by the PGA, is valuable to all Member States. Malaysia hopes that similar engagement could be strengthened with the President of the ECOSOC, as peace and security issues are also linked to the subject of women, youth and development.
- Notwithstanding this, we also call on the Council to produce a summary of the closed consultations. We believe that it is useful if some form of summary records on the important discussions could be established and shared with the broader membership.
- With regard to the annual report of the Security Council to the General Assembly, we note a trend on the delay of its submission in recent years. Malaysia also notes that as of today, only 7 Council members have circulated their monthly assessments for 2019. We expect that the Council would fulfil its commitment for timely submission of reports as stipulated in its President’s Note of December 2019.
- Second – on effectiveness. The Council must fully utilize the Any Other Business (AOB) to ensure emerging threats and issues are addressed swiftly. It should also request for more early warning and situational awareness briefings from the Secretariat. The Council should also continue with inviting briefers who could deliver insights to add value to its deliberations. More importantly, the Council must do its best in closing the gap between early warning and early action.
- And this relates to my last point, which is on the decision making process. The Council must act promptly, decisively and in unison in maintaining international peace and security. Too often, due to the current veto system, the Council has failed in its mandate owing to the narrow interests of some members. As one of the signatories of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) Code of Conduct, Malaysia calls for restraint on the use or the threat of the veto in situations involving mass atrocity crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. We also support the French-Mexican initiative on framing the use of the veto in cases of mass atrocities. In today’s context, Malaysia believes that it is also apposite to regulate the use of the veto in addressing non-traditional threats to international peace and security, such as on issues concerning the global public health emergencies.
Mr. President,
- The UN’s 75th anniversary offers a golden opportunity for the Council to strengthen and reinvigorate its working methods so that it could address the integrated nature of today’s security threats. The UN Charter, indeed, affords the Council with flexibility to evolve and adapt as required. In this regard, Malaysia will continue to provide its full support towards achieving this goal.
Thank you.
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