STATEMENT : RESUMED SESSION OF THE SIXTH COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA ITEM 86: PROTECTION OF PERSONS IN THE EVENT OF DISASTERS WORKING GROUP DISCUSSIO

STATEMENT BY

MR. AHMAD GHAZALI MUHAMAD NADZRI

COUNSELLOR

PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE RESUMED SESSION OF THE SIXTH COMMITTEE MEETING

AGENDA ITEM 86: PROTECTION OF PERSONS IN THE EVENT OF DISASTERS

WORKING GROUP DISCUSSION ON CLUSTER II:

CORE OBLIGATIONS (DRAFT ARTICLES 4, 5, 6 AND 9)

Mr. Chair,

1.         Malaysia wishes to express its support for the recognition of human dignity, human rights, and humanitarian principles outlined in Cluster 2. My delegation firmly believes in the essential obligation to prioritize vulnerable groups, encompassing women, children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities. This perspective aligns closely with Malaysia’s commitments outlined in our National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP), which underscores the Government’s duty to safeguard the right to life, safety, and well-being of all individuals, particularly in times of emergencies and disasters.

2.         With regard to draft Article 6, Malaysia proposes to delete the word “and” and to add the words “and independence” after the word impartiality. Malaysia proposes that the principle of independence be added as the fourth humanitarian principle in draft article 6, based on the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 58/114, which reaffirms the principles of neutrality, humanity, and impartiality for the provision of humanitarian assistance and recognizes independence as another important guiding principle of humanitarian assistance. Malaysia also proposes inserting the phrase “including women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities” at the end of draft article 6 to reflect and illustrate the inclusivity of vulnerable persons.

3.         On Article 9, Malaysia fully supports the inclusion of provisions on disaster risk reduction (DRR), including risk assessments, early warning systems, legislation, and data sharing. This is aligned with Malaysia’s National DRR Policy 2030 and the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015 – 2030.

4.         Malaysia retains the right to offer further detailed comments on the draft articles, including in subsequent clusters and stages of the process. We look forward to engaging productively with other Member States to achieve a balanced outcome for the draft.

I thank you.