STATEMENT BY
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. SYED MOHD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
ON AGENDA ITEM 122:
Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL, NEW YORK
25 NOVEMBER 2019
Mr. President,
Allow me at the outset to congratulate the work of the previous Co-Chairs - Her Excellency Ms. Lana Nusseibeh, the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates and His Excellency Mr. Christian Braun, the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, in bridging the gaps among Member States on this important issue.
2. The reality is reforming the Security Council is not easy. The last reform took place 54 years ago. At the 2005 World Summit, our leaders agreed to make the Council more broadly representative, efficient and transparent to further enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy. It would be a lost opportunity if we could not resolve our differences and reach agreement to reform the Council, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations next year. Continued impasse would only bring joy to those that oppose reform of the Security Council.
Mr. President,
3. My delegation has been consistent in reiterating our position that in order to make it more legitimate, representative, democratic, accountable and transparent, the reform of the Security Council should be comprehensive, both in terms of its working methods and expansion of its membership.
4. To strengthen the role and representation of the Council, Malaysia supports the expansion of both categories. An enlarged Council would not only reflect the current number of UN membership, but it will also replicate the ability of the Security Council to represent the interest of all Member States. At the same time, it is important for us to recognize the need for Africa to be more represented, as the region features prominently in the agenda of the Council.
5. Malaysia also agrees with the proposal for equitable regional representation in both permanent and non-permanent categories so as to ensure that no region will be under represented in the Council.
Mr. President,
6. Malaysia is generally against the use of veto power. We continue to call for a restraint in the use of the veto especially in cases of international crimes of the most serious nature such as in instances of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
7. By extension, we are not in favour of extending veto power to any new Permanent Members. However, we need to be realistic in what we can accomplish. On this, my Prime Minister reiterated our proposal on 27 September 2019 at the General Debate that the veto should only be valid if two Veto Powers together with three non-Veto members agree to apply it.
Mr. President,
8. We have to increase our resolve for an early reform of the Council as we approach the year 2020. We have been engaging in mere statement reading sessions without concrete outcome for almost 15 years since the 2005 World Summit. To make progress, Member States must be willing to compromise and show considerable flexibility. Hence, my delegation is of the view that a text-based negotiation constitutes the ideal step forward in this reform process.
9. Such document should encompass all the different proposals by Member States to allow us to clearly identify areas where differences could be bridged. In this context, my delegation supports the adoption of the Revised Elements of Commonalities prepared by our previous co-chairs as a legitimate working draft for us to base on in our upcoming IGNs.
Mr. President,
10. The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of our organisation next year would be an opportune time for us to eleviate this vital issue to a higher level. With the theme ‘The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism’, there is no better time, for us to transform our organization for the better, in the interest of international peace, security and prosperity.
I thank you, Mr. President.