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STATEMENT BY
H.E. SYED MOHAMAD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE PLENARY MEETING OF
THE 75TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ON AGENDA ITEM 123:
THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY
NEW YORK, 6 JULY 2021
Mr. President,
Thank you for convening this debate. Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. We wish to also extend our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his reports[1] on the agenda item.
2. Malaysia welcomes the consensual adoption of resolution 75/291 on the Seventh Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) on 30 June 2021. We thank the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Oman and Spain, for their efforts in steering the review, and all delegations for their contributions towards the process.
3. 15 years after the Strategy’s first adoption by this General Assembly on 8 September 2006, my delegation is pleased to note that the spirit of consensus has been maintained. It certainly has not been easy. The review was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each line and word in the resolution before us was carefully crafted and scrutinized. Compromises were made. While no delegation in this Hall got all it wanted, it is important that the voices of Member States were heard. The rigorous exercise was necessary so we could ensure that the Strategy remains a living document that can respond to a changing global terrorism landscape, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review is also important to ensure that the Strategy could guide our united and concerted action on the ground to address the scourge of terrorism, through a balanced implementation of all four pillars.
4. We are thus pleased to see that among the updates in the review resolution is the long overdue omission of the term “Islamic” from the name of one terrorist organization. Malaysia underscores that the threat to world peace and security is not Islam, but terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Attributing terrorism to a particular religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group is a misguided effort, as no religion propagates terrorism, and no nationality, civilization or ethnic group is predisposed to it. As Da’esh is neither Islamic, nor a State, Malaysia joins the OIC’s call on all Member States and UN entities to mainstream the name Da’esh when referring to the terrorist organization.
5. The review resolution has also recognized the worrying overall rise in instances of discrimination, intolerance and violence, directed against members of religious and other communities in various parts of the world, including cases motivated by Islamophobia. Terrorist groups are also exploiting the current health crisis for their nefarious ends, including by using the virus, and the government responses to it, to feed the conspiracy theories and narratives they rely on to attract followers. Left unchecked, the increasing intolerance concerning race and ethnicity is bound to break communities. As a multireligious country, where different faiths coexist and prosper, Malaysia stands ready to share its experience in marginalizing extremism and in maintaining a harmonious, pluralistic society.
Mr. President,
6. My delegation would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the UN Secretary-General and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) for successfully organizing the recently concluded Second UN Counter-Terrorism Week, including the Second UN High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States. We appreciate the enriching engagements and discussions throughout the week, including the examination of the impact of new and emerging technologies on counter-terrorism. We look forward to the convening of the first UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism in December.
Mr. President,
7. Malaysia continues to reiterate the importance of winning the “hearts and minds” in the psychological war against terrorism. The Southeast Asia Regional Centre on Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) continues to engage with youths through counter-messaging initiatives such as the “Building Effective Stories Through Narratives by Youth to Enhance Resilience” (BESTNYER), and speak to them on the dangers of radicalisation – creating ‘mental firewalls’ to block radical ideologies from penetrating their psyche.
8. Malaysia also recognizes that a gender-sensitive analysis of the drivers of terrorism is integral to our preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) efforts. Malaysia’s “Gendered Approach Towards Outreach on Radicalisation” (GATOR) programme, led by SEARCCT, seeks to identify gender-sensitive PCVE strategies in Malaysia and to leverage on the participation of women and women's organisations in our PCVE measures. These initiatives demonstrate Malaysia’s commitment to the whole-of-society approach to combatting the scourge of terrorism.
Mr. President,
9. Even as the world reels from the COVID-19 crisis, terrorism continues to pose a grave threat to international peace and security. It is an evolving and diversifying threat, with many trends magnified during the pandemic, and many underlying drivers exacerbated by the political and socio-economic fallout from the crisis.
10. Malaysia reiterates its commitment to work within the United Nations framework in the efforts to prevent and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Although much work remains, rest assured of Malaysia’s cooperation in discussions at this General Assembly as well as our commitment to see a world free from terrorism.
Thank you.
[1] A/73/866, A/74/677 and A/75/729