🇲🇾 Malaysia - Prime Minister Addresses United Nations General Debate, 78th Session | #UNGA

Summary

His Excellency Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Malaysia, addresses the UN General Assembly, emphasizing the need for multilateralism and equitable global governance. He condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and calls for peace through negotiations. Ibrahim also highlights the crises in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, advocating for humanitarian aid and respect for human rights. He stresses the urgency of addressing climate change, the importance of the SDGs, and the rise of Islamophobia, urging for global unity and systemic reform to build a harmonious and sustainable future.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The United Nations was established nearly 80 years ago with the vision of a more democratic world based on equity and justice, but this vision has been shattered with major powers increasingly sidelining the UN for smaller platforms.
• 🏛 The General Assembly was intended to be the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the UN, giving equal voice to sovereign nations and avoiding the dominance of the strong over the weak.
• 🌍 We are living in a deeply polarized world with major power rivalries and geopolitical dilemmas, where the choice often seems to be between siding with one major power or another, impacting smaller nations significantly.
• 🇺🇦 The speaker unequivocally condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine and calls for a concerted multilateral effort led by the UN to resolve the crisis, emphasizing the need for peace and negotiations.
• 🌾 The conflict in Ukraine has global repercussions, causing food shortages, hunger, and malnutrition, highlighting the urgency for resolution and the importance of peace for global stability.
• 🕌 The ongoing politics of dispossession in the Middle East, particularly the illegal settlements and violence against Palestinians, is a gross violation of international law and an obstacle to a two-state solution.
• 🇦🇫 Malaysia is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, especially with the country facing drought and locust infestations, and calls for the reversal of discriminatory policies against women and girls.
• 🇲🇲 The speaker expresses horror at the violence and instability in Myanmar, calling for international support and pressure on the military authorities to reverse their actions and implement the ASEAN five-point consensus.
• 🌡️ The world has just experienced its hottest summer on record, with climate breakdown already underway, necessitating urgent action on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• 💹 The 2023 SDG report indicates that global progress is lagging, with economic growth and income disparity widening, and systemic reform is needed to address these challenges.
• 🕊️ The emergence of a new form of racism, including xenophobia and Islamophobia, is a concern, and there is a call for promoting acceptance, tolerance, and intercultural and inter-religious understanding.

Q & A

What is the historical significance of the establishment of the General Assembly of the United Nations?

The General Assembly was established almost 80 years ago in response to the horrors of a catastrophic war, with the profound decision to become the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the United Nations, embodying a vision of a more democratic world based on equity and justice.

Why has the vision of the United Nations been described as 'shattered to pieces' in the script?

The vision has been described as shattered because major powers and those aspiring to greater international status are increasingly sidelining the United Nations for smaller platforms, leading to a fragmented configuration of power rather than the intended multilateralism.

What is the current state of the geopolitical world according to the statement by the Prime Minister of Malaysia?

The world is deeply polarized with major power rivalry unfolding, negatively impacting nations especially the smaller ones in conflict regions, leading to a geopolitical and geostrategic dilemma.

How does the script address the issue of the Russian invasion of Ukraine?

The script unequivocally condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and calls for a concerted multilateral effort led by the United Nations to resolve the crisis, emphasizing the need for all parties to return to dialogue and resolve differences through negotiations.

What are the consequences of the Ukraine conflict mentioned in the script?

The Ukraine conflict has led to increased food prices, shortages, hunger, malnutrition, and despair, as well as forced migration, adding to the problems of refugees and statelessness.

What is the stance of Malaysia on the issue of Palestine as described in the script?

Malaysia condemns the continued illegal settlements and dispossession of Palestinians, calling it a gross violation of international law and an insurmountable obstacle to a two-state solution. The script also highlights the hypocrisy in dealing with the issue of Palestine and calls for the international community to speak up against atrocities.

What humanitarian concerns does Malaysia have regarding Afghanistan?

Malaysia is deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, especially due to the country grappling with its third consecutive year of drought and devastating locust infestations that have undermined harvests.

What is Malaysia's position on the situation in Myanmar?

Malaysia is horrified by the continued post-coup violence and instability in Myanmar and calls for the immediate implementation of the ASEAN five-point consensus towards achieving peace and stability in the country.

How does the script discuss the impact of climate change?

The script discusses the impact of climate change with increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, intensified monsoons, and erratic weather patterns disrupting livelihoods and degrading ecosystems, emphasizing the urgency of developing low carbon and renewable energy roadmaps.

What is the 'Madani' vision introduced by Malaysia, and what are its core values?

The 'Madani' vision is built on pillars of core values such as compassion, respect, trust, innovation, prosperity, and sustainability, which are considered indispensable for a harmonious, thriving, and peaceful society.

What is the script's call to action for addressing global challenges?

The script calls for trust, conviction, and collective commitment from the global community and member states to work together on a platform of consensus and solidarity, emphasizing the need for greater trust and strengthened multilateralism to overcome global challenges.