STATEMENT BY
MR. SHIVANAND SIVAMOHAN
FIRST SECRETARY
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
THEMATIC DEBATE ON
DISARMAMENT MACHINERY
FIRST COMMITTEE OF THE 79TH SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 29 OCTOBER 2024
Madam Chair,
Malaysia aligns itself with the statements by NAM and ASEAN.
- In times of increasing conflict and challenges to the multilateral system, the credibility and effectiveness of the UN disarmament machinery must be upheld.
- The First Committee of the General Assembly retains its centrality as a forum for dialogue and action on a range of disarmament and international security issues. The prevailing difficulty in reaching consensus on many proposals in the First Committee should not deter us from continuing to engage constructively, in the spirit of trust and mutual respect.
- In terms of subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly established through First Committee resolutions, duplication of processes should be avoided. This is important in maximising the utility of scarce resources, and in enabling broad participation by Member States in the evolving disarmament discourse.
- As regards the Conference on Disarmament, renewed efforts are required to achieve a balanced and comprehensive programme of work, and to ensure the relevance of the Conference as a multilateral disarmament negotiating body. Malaysia welcomes the decisions on the establishment of five subsidiary bodies in the Conference on Disarmament for the 2024 session as well as the adoption of their reports, and looks forward to the continuation of their work next year.
- Malaysia also acknowledges the value of the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) as a specialised deliberative platform under the multilateral disarmament machinery. We hope that progress will be made in the UNDC’s current three-year cycle on the items of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and emerging technologies in the context of international security, with a view to producing substantive recommendations.
- Further, my delegation reiterates its support for the work of the UN Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament, particularly in our own region of the Asia-Pacific. The regional centres have a key function in supporting the advancement of disarmament and non-proliferation goals, helping to build Member States’ capacities and deepen expertise on various issues.
- Let us work together to ensure the disarmament machinery remains fit for purpose, as the international community confronts ever more sophisticated threats and challenges, especially in an era of rapid technological change.
Thank you.