STATEMENT BY
COLONEL SHAMSURI NOORDIN
MILITARY ADVISER
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE
(FOURTH COMMITTEE) OF THE 77th SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AGENDA ITEM 48:
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE WHOLE QUESTION
OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN
ALL THEIR ASPECTS
Mr. Chair,
Malaysia aligns itself with the statements delivered by Morocco and Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), respectively.
2. Malaysia reaffirms the vital importance of peacekeeping operations in maintaining international peace and security. We appreciate the sacrifices of peacekeepers serving with unwavering dedication and extraordinary distinction to bring about a more peaceful world. We pay tribute to those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace.
Mr. Chair,
3. Currently, Malaysian peacekeepers are serving in 5 United Nations peacekeeping operations and one special political mission. At this moment, 820 Malaysian soldiers serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are being transitioned. 30 personnel from the Royal Bruneian Armed Forces will be embedded with their Malaysian counterparts in the 10th Malaysian Battalion in South Lebanon.
4. Apart from UNIFIL, Malaysian soldiers also serve as military observers and staff in the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei in Abyei (UNISFA), and United Nation Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).
5. After a long hiatus, Malaysia is again deploying its police personnel to UN peacekeeping mission. Beginning on 10 October 2022, 10 Individual Police Officer’s (IPO’s) from the Royal Malaysia Police began their deployment in the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS). In addition, 103 police personnel consisting of 83 men and 20 women, who recently passed the UN Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT), are ready to be deployed as blue helmets.
Mr. Chair,
6. Malaysia strongly believes in the critical role of training in ensuring effective peacekeeping. The Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC) continues to be recognised as a premier training centre in the region. The Centre offers courses such as for Contingent Commander and Gender Advisor (GENAD) as well as Comprehensive Protection of Civilians; Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA); Women, Peace and Security; Gender Mainstreaming; and Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. To date, the Centre has trained more than 900 military and civilian personnel, including 190 foreign participants.
7. Malaysia is also pleased to continue supporting women in peacekeeping. Currently, Malaysia is deploying its highest number of women peacekeepers in UNIFIL, consisting of 85 personnel. We have also achieved the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS) target set out by UN DPO, with 29.6% of women personnel deployed as Military Observers and Staff, 15% deployed as part of the contingent, and 30% deployed as IPO’s.
Mr. Chair,
8. Malaysia remains deeply concerned with a continued high number of attacks against UN peacekeepers, including recently in MINUSCA and MONUSCO. Given the new realities and challenges, the peacekeeping mission must be tweaked continuously to ensure that peacekeepers would be able to implement their mandate effectively. This would require peacekeepers to be equipped with the necessary skills, training, equipment and mandate. At the same time, greater efforts at the strategic level are needed to increase the legitimacy of the peacekeeping mission, fight disinformation and hate speech.
9. To conclude, Malaysia reaffirms its support in strengthening the United Nations peacekeeping operations. We owe it to ourselves and our stakeholders to ensure that peacekeeping remains effective and can adequately respond to evolving and new challenges.
Thank you.