STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR MUHAMMAD RADZI JAMALUDIN
REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
HIGH-LEVEL PLENARY MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
TO COMMEMORATE AND PROMOTE THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE TOTAL ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
NEW YORK, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025
Madam President,
Malaysia associates itself with the statement made by the Non-Aligned Movement.
- Eight decades after their first testing and use, nuclear weapons continue to cast a dark shadow over humanity. While possessed or relied upon by a select group, these weapons pose an existential threat to all States. Doctrines of “deterrence” and strategic stability are but a thin veneer for the unparalleled capacity of nuclear weapons to inflict horrific destruction and suffering.
- Today’s high-level meeting underscores the central role of the General Assembly in advancing nuclear disarmament. Moral, security and ethical imperatives demand the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Our efforts are all the more pressing in times of heightened tension, as the quantitative and qualitative expansion of nuclear arsenals proceeds unchecked.
- Restoring confidence in the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture requires the full and effective implementation of obligations and commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), particularly on nuclear disarmament. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) complements the NPT and reinforces the international legal framework against nuclear weapons.
- At the same time, other pillars of the global disarmament regime must be strengthened. These include the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and nuclear-weapon-free zones, which contribute to regional and global security. Malaysia looks forward to the adoption, during this session of the General Assembly, of the ASEAN-sponsored biennial resolution on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty. We also call for the full implementation of the New START Treaty and the negotiation of a successor agreement.
Madam President,
- Contemporary security challenges only magnify the unacceptable dangers posed by nuclear weapons. With renewed political will and collective action, let us ensure that the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world is achieved as a matter of the highest urgency.
Thank you.