UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS – “STRENGTHENING UN PEACEKEEPING: REFLECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE”
SECURITY COUNCIL CHAMBER, 10:00AM, 9 SEPTEMBER 2024 (MONDAY)
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr. President,
Please accept our congratulations on your presidency of the Security Council for the month of September.
2. Thank you for convening this Open Debate and for continuing to highlight the importance of the UN peacekeeping agenda. I would also like to thank the Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations, and other distinguished briefers for their insights.
Mr. President,
3. Malaysia recognises the essential role of UN peacekeeping in maintaining international peace and security. As a testament to our commitment, Malaysia has been active and consistent in contributing military and law enforcement personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. We made our first contribution of troops in 1960 as part of the UN's peacekeeping operation in the Congo, only a few years after Malaysia gained its independence in 1957.
4. Since then, Malaysia has participated in over 38 peacekeeping operations, involving about 40,000 personnel from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP). To date, Malaysia is proud to have 878 peacekeepers, 11 percent of them women, being deployed in various UN peacekeeping missions.
Mr. President,
5. Malaysia has always been a strong advocate for the continued improvement of UN peacekeeping, to ensure it is fit for purpose and continues to be relevant. The evolving geopolitical landscape necessitates the continuous development of UN peacekeeping. While we endeavour to make peacekeeping operations adaptable to current conditions, we must always be mindful of the primary objective that is, to restore sustainable peace through political solutions.
6. Looking ahead, we must ensure that peacekeeping missions can effectively carry out their mandated tasks, and foster conditions conducive for peaceful political resolutions. In this context, Malaysia wishes to highlight the following three (3) points:
i) First, we must give due emphasis on the effective implementation of peacekeeping mandates. The Council must strive to draft clear, focused, and achievable mandates in consultation with host countries, as well as with troop and police contributing countries. This approach will ensure that expectations are adequately addressed and that appropriate political support is secured.
- Second, the evolving geopolitical landscape requires enhanced cooperation between the UN, as well as regional and sub-regional organizations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. Malaysia firmly believes that a strong partnership between the UN and regional, as well as sub-regional organizations, is essential.
- Third, Malaysia strongly supports the full, effective and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping, as emphasized in Security Council resolution 2538 (2020). The involvement of women peacekeepers can facilitate interactions and confidence-building with local communities and affected populations, particularly with women and children. Greater investments and efforts are needed to widen the role of women in peacekeeping, including through training and capacity-building. In this regard, Malaysia remains committed to providing training on the role of women in peacekeeping missions, at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC).
Mr. President,
7. In conclusion, Malaysia believes that collaboration between the Security Council, the Secretariat, host countries, regional and sub-regional organizations, as well as troop and police contributing countries, should be approached in the spirit of partnership. Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations. We are committed to work together with all our partners to ensure that peacekeeping remains effective and capable of responding adequately to evolving and new challenges.
Thank you.