EXPLANATION OF VOTE AFTER THE VOTE
BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
CLUSTER 7: DISARMAMENT MACHINERY
NEW YORK, 4 NOVEMBER 2022
Mr. Chairman,
Malaysia wishes to deliver its explanation of vote on draft resolution L.25.
2. We thank Ecuador for tabling this text concerning the report of the Conference on Disarmament, an important body in the global disarmament machinery, of which Malaysia is a member.
3. My delegation regrets that although the resolution on this subject has traditionally been adopted by the First Committee without a vote, this was not the case during the present session. Against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tension, the wider UN membership was faced with multiple proposals relating to operative paragraph 5, which concomitantly presented complexities with regard to the overall text.
4. Malaysia abstained from voting on the proposed amendment to OP.5, and would have similarly abstained on other related amendments had they not been withdrawn. We also abstained from voting on OP.5 itself. Nonetheless, we voted in favour of the draft resolution as a whole, as we believe in its continued relevance in upholding the overarching purpose of the Conference on Disarmament.
Mr. Chairman,
5. Although the Conference is often described as the ‘single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community’, it has, with rare exceptions, been afflicted by institutional deadlock over its programme of work since the conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996. This must be redressed if the Conference is to live up to its role.
6. Let us ensure that today’s voting exercise does not signal further erosion of the credibility and integrity of the Conference on Disarmament. We call on the relevant parties to engage in dialogue with a view to ensuring the revitalisation of the Conference and the effective discharge of its mandate.
Thank you.