STATEMENT BY
MR. SHIVANAND SIVAMOHAN
FIRST SECRETARY
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
THEMATIC DEBATE ON
REGIONAL DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY
FIRST COMMITTEE OF THE 79TH SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 28 OCTOBER 2024
Madam Chair,
Malaysia aligns itself with the statements delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the NAM, and by Brunei Darussalam on behalf of ASEAN.
- Only the total elimination of nuclear weapons will suffice as an effective guarantee against their use or threat of use. As long as such weapons persist, regional nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZs) retain a crucial role.
- The zones established by the treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok and Pelindaba, and the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, as well as Mongolia’s Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Status, are critical in enhancing international peace and security. Their contributions are particularly relevant in the present environment of rising nuclear rhetoric and heightened geopolitical tensions.
- The provision of legally binding negative security assurance by the Nuclear-Weapon States, through the relevant protocols to NWFZ treaties, is also vital in guarding against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. As a State Party to the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty, Malaysia is committed to continued engagement with our ASEAN colleagues and all Nuclear-Weapon States towards resolving all outstanding issues in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Treaty.
- Further, Malaysia reaffirms its support for efforts to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. In this regard, we welcome the convening of the four sessions of the Conference mandated by the General Assembly in accordance with decision 73/546, and look forward to the holding of the fifth session this November. At the same time, we recognise the continued importance of full implementation of the Resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, which was essential to the indefinite extension of the Treaty.
- In the Asia-Pacific region, my delegation is gravely concerned over developments in the Korean Peninsula, and calls on the concerned parties to resume dialogue to achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Peninsula.
- As the multilateral architecture faces renewed strains, Malaysia will continue working with all Member States to advance disarmament and security through sustained cooperation at the regional and global levels.
Thank you.