STATEMENT BY MR. RUSLAN ABDULLAH
DELEGATE
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE 77TH UNGA
FOR AGENDA ITEM 15: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; AND
AGENDA ITEM 20: GLOBALIZATION AND INTERDEPENDENCE
7 OCTOBER 2022
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, Malaysia aligns itself with the statements delivered respectively by Singapore on behalf of ASEAN and Pakistan on behalf of the G77 and China. We wish to add the following points in our national capacity.
Mr. Chair,
2. Malaysia believes that the multifaceted crises before us could be effectively surpassed through enhanced international collaboration. We further believe that science, technology and innovation are a critical tool for global recovery efforts from the challenges impacting the global community. In this regard, it is imperative that we ensure swift access to new technologies and digitalisation for developing countries.
3. Enhancing capacity building in science, technology and innovation is fundamental particularly to vulnerable countries. Bridging the digital divide through strengthened knowledge-sharing, collaboration and scaling up investments in STI has become more crucial than ever in collective pathways towards equal and sustainable recovery.
Mr. Chair,
4. STI is fundamental to Malaysia’s development efforts towards socio-economic transformation and inclusive growth. In 2021, Malaysia launched the National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2021-2030, to bridge the socioeconomic divide and advance towards a high income nation that is sustainable and inclusive.
5. Several STI-related legislations, blueprints and roadmaps were outlined such as the Malaysia Space Exploration 2030 Blueprint (or Malaysia Space-X 2030), Artificial Intelligence Roadmap (2021-2025) and Electrical & Electronics Technology Development Roadmap (2021-2030) to boost local and foreign direct investment as we aim to become a high-tech nation by 2030. As of July 2022, about USD10 billion digital technology investment was generated from 28 foreign companies. We hope to achieve the targeted ratio of 130 talents and experts for every 10,000 workers by 2025.
6. Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia has also launched the National Vaccine Development Roadmap as well as the Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute to safeguard bio and health security in the country and the region. We reiterate the urgent need for the international community to bridge the elusive vaccine divide in order to recover better.
Mr. Chair,
7. To conclude, the time is now for the global community to collectively address common challenges and take affirmative actions that are science and evidence-based, in order to achieve sustainable development. In this regards, Malaysia welcomes greater cooperation and partnerships on STIs to build back better and greener in realising the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
Thank you for your attention.