STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR DATO’ SYED MOHD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK
AT THE UNITED NATIONS DAY FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
10 SEPTEMBER 2021, NEW YORK
Mr. Moderator,
I wish to extend my appreciation to you for organising this meeting. My delegation aligns ourselves with the G77’s statement delivered by the representative of Guinea.
Excellencies / Ladies and gentlemen,
2. South-South Cooperation remains an integral component of Malaysia’s foreign policy. The sharing and exchanges of knowledge, best practices and capacity building between countries of the South has become more important than ever in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Malaysia is committed to supporting capacity building for developing countries under the framework of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP). For this year alone, we have offered a total of 61 technical and capacity-building programmes under the MTCP, which have benefited more than 34,000 participants from 144 countries. These courses include health services, education, agriculture, sustainable development, poverty eradication, investment promotion, ICT, banking, diplomacy, economy, public administration and Industrial Revolution 4.0.
4. However, South-South Cooperation is not a substitute for North-South Cooperation. Developed countries must not shy away from its commitments such as in mobilising long-term climate finance of USD100 billion by 2020. We must also aim at improving access to financing for development and ensuring a free and fair trading system in preparing for a strong and sustainable recovery efforts.
Excellencies / Ladies and gentlemen,
5. The pandemic has taught us that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Regrettably, global vaccine distribution has been grossly imbalanced.As of 8 September, about 60% of the population in high income countries has received at least one dose of the vaccine as compared to only 2.65% in low income countries. The New Global Dashboard on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity forecasts that low income countries could have added USD38 billion to their GDP for 2021 if their vaccination rate is similar to that of high income countries. In this regard, Malaysia calls for greater efforts to ensure
6. Malaysia further notes of the potential of South-South Cooperation through trade and investment as an indispensable tool for economic growth and development. In the last decade, we have seen the exponential increase in trade between developing countries. South-South trade increased from USD0.6 trillion in 1995 to USD4 trillion in 2016, making up almost 29% of global trade. This trend is a powerful reminder of the opportunity and capacity that exists within the South which could be extended to partners in other regions. We must strive harder to accelerate the global delivery of vaccines so that we could mitigate the devastating socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and build back better.
Excellencies / Ladies and gentlemen,
7. In conclusion, Malaysia continues to believe that South-South Cooperation offers a unique pathway to build back better and accelerate progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. We stand ready to work with other countries, consistent with our national capability, including through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), in supporting practical and shared solutions to the challenges faced by developing countries in battling the adverse effects of the pandemic.
Thank you.