STATEMENT BY
MR. SHIVANAND SIVAMOHAN
FIRST SECRETARY
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
THEMATIC DEBATE ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS
FIRST COMMITTEE
80TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 21 OCTOBER 2025
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Mr. Chair,
Malaysia aligns itself with the statements of NAM, ASEAN and the TPNW States Parties.
- Eighty years after the establishment of the United Nations, the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons has yet to be attained. The inherent threat posed by the very existence of nuclear weapons is too great for humanity to countenance. Indeed, the interests of all States are put at incalculable risk by the decision of some to maintain or otherwise rely upon nuclear arsenals.
- Malaysia is deeply concerned by the qualitative and quantitative enhancement of nuclear weapons, as well as the expansion of extended nuclear deterrence and nuclear sharing arrangements. Increased attention should also be paid to the impact of new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in this area.
4. Renewed political will is essential in ensuring that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, particularly ahead of the 2026 Review Conference. Maintaining the integrity and credibility of the Treaty requires the full implementation of the Nuclear-Weapon States’ obligations and commitments, with increased transparency and accountability in the NPT review process.
- My delegation welcomes the steady advancement of the TPNW, which reflects the moral, security and humanitarian imperative of a world without nuclear weapons. We are pleased to co-chair, with the Philippines, the informal working group on Article 4, which we hope will benefit from, and contribute to, the broader discourse on nuclear disarmament verification.
- Malaysia reiterates the importance of the entry into force of the CTBT without further delay, as well as the resumption of implementation of the New START Treaty and the negotiation of a successor agreement by its parties.
- We also call for the strengthening of nuclear-weapon-free zones and the establishment of new zones, including in the Middle East. We request the support of all delegations for the draft biennial resolution on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty, or the Bangkok Treaty, tabled by ASEAN this session, and look forward to continued engagement with the Nuclear-Weapon States to resolve all outstanding issues in line with the objectives and principles of the Treaty.
- In addition, Malaysia is presenting our annual resolution on Follow-Up to the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, which retains its relevance nearly three decades after it was rendered.
- We must resist assertions that nuclear weapons can be responsibly possessed and judiciously wielded. The catastrophic humanitarian consequences of these weapons necessitate their total elimination for the sake of present and future generations.
Thank you.
