STATEMENT BY
MR SHIVANAND SIVAMOHAN
SECOND SECRETARY
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE
OPEN CONSULTATIONS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION 1540 (2004) ON THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1540 (2004)
NEW YORK, 31 MAY 2022
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Mr. Chair,
Malaysia welcomes the convening of these open consultations by the UN Security Council’s 1540 Committee under the Chairmanship of Mexico. We also wish to record our appreciation to Indonesia for its contributions as Chair of the Committee for 2019-2020.
2. At the outset, Malaysia reaffirms its principled position in favour of the general and complete disarmament of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and underlines the necessity of pursuing measures towards this goal through multilateral processes.
3. Malaysia is fully committed to, and strongly supportive of, the objective of combatting the proliferation of WMDs and sensitive related materials, including to non-State actors, through the implementation of UNSCR 1540.
Mr. Chair,
National Measures
4. At the national level, in response to UNSCR 1540 Malaysia enacted the Strategic Trade Act (STA) 2010, which came into force in January 2011. The Act provides for control over the export, trans-shipment, transit and brokering of strategic items, including arms and related material, and other activities that will or may facilitate the design, development and production of WMDs and their delivery systems. The operation of this Act is coordinated by the Strategic Trade Secretariat (STS) under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
5. The first amendment to the STA 2010 came into effect in September 2017, and aimed principally to enable adaptation to the evolving dynamics of proliferation scenarios, whilst ensuring compliance with relevant UNSC resolutions without discouraging trade activities.
6. Other laws and regulations in place to ensure compliance with the terms of UNSCR 1540 include:
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the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001;
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the Penal Code; and
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the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015.
7. Malaysia will continue to consider additional measures, as may be necessary, to enforce the operative provisions of relevant UNSC resolutions.
8. To build understanding on the STA 2010, Malaysia has undertaken various outreach initiatives including talks for private entities and the sharing of best practices with overseas public sector counterparts. Also, we are presently seeking to create a pool of industry players, researchers and organisations dealing with strategic items.
Mr. Chair,
National Reporting
9. Recognising the important role of the 1540 Committee, Malaysia submitted National Reports to the Committee in October 2004 and in April 2018.
10. We look forward to further engagement with the Committee, as well as the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in considering potential updates on relevant issues.
Suggestions on the Way Forward
11. Moving forward, Malaysia remains ready to consider requests from other States for assistance, as appropriate, in the areas of legal and regulatory infrastructure, as well as resources for fulfilling the provisions of UNSCR 1540, with a particular focus on our region in Southeast Asia.
12. Malaysia notes, however, that the number of States utilising the 1540 Committee’s assistance mechanism is relatively small. The Committee may need to explore the reasons underlying this observation, considering inter alia:
I. First, whether there is sufficient information on the availability of such resources;
II. Second, the need to improve existing processes governing requests for assistance as well as the matching of assistance sought and resources offered;
III. Third, whether there has been duplication of efforts, in that the assistance required is already being offered by other international organisations and/or regional organisations that may be more readily accessed by certain States.
13. Further, Malaysia supports the continuation of the 1540 Committee’s Point-of- Contact Training Programme, under which online training options may be explored. The Committee may also wish to consider the preparation of more material explaining the framework of UNSCR 1540, including material that may be easily disseminated digitally.
Mr. Chair,
14. In conclusion, I wish to underscore Malaysia’s continued commitment to the efforts of the global community to prevent the proliferation of WMDs, including to non-state actors, in line with UNSCR 1540.
Thank you.