Resident Coordinator's speech: UNAM Forum: The United Nations – Seven Decades, Issues and Challenges

Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamed, UNAM President

Datuk Mohamad Bin Alamin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Colonel Noor Azman bin Haji Yahya, Commandant of MPC.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, 

I am honored to be able to join you today. I have just got back from our annual meeting at UN HQ but couldn’t miss the opportunity to join you at this important Forum, co-organized by the United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense, in conjunction with the 79th anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter and the establishment of the United Nations in 1945.

Happy UN Day!

Today is an opportunity to reflect on our organization’s principles, values and commitments, especially in today’s tormented world, when humanity is facing unprecedented crises - raging wars and conflicts, widespread human suffering, the climate emergency, growing inequalities, and emerging technologies with the potential for both good and harm.

Yet, the United Nations stands strong as the world’s largest and most representative multilateral organization and remains a beacon of hope and cooperation among nations. 

Our founding Charter is a powerful instrument of international law, binding us to principles and ideals that are as relevant today as they were nearly eight decades ago.

With 193 Member States, and despite daunting challenges at the global, regional and national levels - the UN’s commitment to maintaining international peace and security, promoting human well-being, and fostering global cooperation is reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the universally adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Most recently, these commitments were reaffirmed with the adoption, on 22 September this year, of the Pact for the Future during the Summit of the Future.

Over the years, the UN has continuously evolved to address the needs of a changing world. From providing humanitarian assistance and protecting human rights to upholding international law, our work remains as critical now as it has ever been, perhaps even more so. 

We are pursuing the ambitious 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, striving for a more just, sustainable future for all; for advancing equal rights for women and men, and for fully committing to effective climate action, recognizing the urgent need to limit global warming and safeguard our planet for future generations. 

As we have just heard from the esteemed speakers, Malaysia, a proud member of the UN since 1957, has made significant contributions to our collective efforts. From peacekeeping missions to promoting sustainable development initiatives, Malaysia’s engagement with the UN reflects its steadfast commitment to the principles of the organization. 

The country’s engagement in global and regional processes and critical conversations on pressing issues has ensured Malaysia’s role as champion of multilateralism and international and regional cooperation.

For over 65 years, the United Nations development system has been a steadfast partner to Malaysia, working hand in hand with the Government and with the people to support the country’s impressive journey since independence. 

In the past decade, our cooperation has been framed by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by UN member States in 2015, as a universal roadmap to advance economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability, through a rights-based approach where no one is left behind. 

The Malaysia UN Country Team, comprising 21 agencies and guided by the first UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, has been instrumental in addressing complex development challenges. 

We have provided policy advice and technical assistance in areas such as social protection, education, health, environmental sustainability, and governance, in line with international standards and principles. 

We have dedicated special attention to the pledge to leave no one behind – including through programmes on poverty eradication, social protection, women’s empowerment, spatial inequalities, and the protection of the most vulnerable amongst us, including undocumented and stateless persons, migrant workers, refugees, children, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples.

In line with the Malaysia Madani vision, we have worked alongside the Government and other development actors, including civil society, academia, the private sector, the media and various communities and groups, supporting Malaysia's development agenda with a focus on the more complex last-mile development issues, typical of a country transitioning from upper-middle-income to high-income status. 

The UN’s support in these areas aligns closely with Malaysia’s vision for a sustainable and inclusive future, and my job is to ensure that our work remains relevant, coherent and impactful. As a convenor, the Resident Coordinator’s Office is prioritizing meaningful and inclusive participation and coordinates the UN agencies, funds and programmes’ engagement with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders as we develop our new Cooperation Framework for Malaysia for the period 2026 to 2030 in line with Ekonomi Madani and the 13th Malaysia Plan.

In 2023, and with the support of the Ministry of Finance, we established the Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund, a pioneer initiative of Yayasan MySDG, the Government of Malaysia, and the UN. This multi-donor Fund is open to contributions from the private sector, the international community, and others, and supports high-impact SDG acceleration projects specifically aimed at improving the lives of communities and individuals left furthest behind. 

The Fund exemplifies our commitment to innovative solutions and partnerships that drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The second Call for Proposals for 2024/2025 was launched on the 17th of September during the National SDG Summit and we welcome proposals from UN and non-UN organizations for a new generation of projects.

Globally, the Summit of the Future was a pivotal global gathering during the UN General Assembly high-level week. It brought together world leaders to discuss pressing global challenges and reaffirm the relevance of the UN in today’s complex landscape. 

At extremely challenging times, consensus was reached on key transformative initiatives to reshape global governance and foster international solidarity.

The resulting Pact for the Future is a landmark UN resolution that reaffirms our collective commitment to a safer, more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world. It is a powerful renewed commitment among nations to work collectively towards accelerating efforts on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

This Pact emphasizes that we must leave no one behind, tackling the root causes of global challenges and fostering an inclusive global community. 

The Pact includes two important groundbreaking annexes, namely the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.

Together, they address a broad range of issues, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment. This is a comprehensive and forward-looking framework that will guide our efforts in the years to come, towards the SDGs in 2030, and far beyond.

In the area of peace and security, the Pact’s serves as a reminder of what the UN stands for and what it will take to stay relevant in this century and millennium. The fifth chapter of the Pact includes the most progressive vision of global governance, including the reform of the international financial architecture and a clear commitment to Security Council reform aiming to enhance effectiveness, inclusivity and representativity. It also reaffirms our dedication to nuclear disarmament and the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

The Declaration on Future Generation is a bold commitment to safeguard the rights and well-being of those yet to come.

The Global Digital Compact, a key component of the Pact, marks the first worldwide agreement on the importance of guardrails to technological progress and international regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). It will ensure that digital technologies contribute to sustainable development and human rights while reducing inequalities and bridging digital divides.

The Pact is a Call to Action which also highlights roles and responsibilities, and provides means of implementation and accountability. Everyone, and youth in particular, will play a key part to translate the 56 actions in the pact as well as those in its annexes into positive outcomes for the people and planet.

Every action matters, every voice counts. As the UN in Malaysia, we pledge to pursue our mission and engage with all stakeholders. As Malaysia embraces its leadership role of ASEAN in 2025, we renew our commitment to spare no effort to bring the best in us and among us to support your ambitious agenda.

The UN Association in Malaysia is a partner and important advocate of the values we uphold. We count on your support as you federate voices from all parts of Malaysia and broaden your reach. We also stand ready to support your efforts to promote a discourse based on knowledge and sound information.

We fully acknowledge that the UN faces unprecedented challenges. Geopolitical tensions and conflicts around the world threaten international peace and security and put the UN to the test every day. The ongoing climate crisis and the too slow response call for urgent action and for difficult collective decisions. Human rights, international law and international humanitarian law are hanging by a thread. 

We firmly believe in the UN’s ability to live up to the challenges we face.

In closing, my heartfelt appreciation goes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and UNAM for co-organizing this important Forum and for bringing us together to commemorate UN Day and reflect on our shared responsibility to uphold the UN's principles.

It is through our collective efforts, anchored in the UN Charter, that we can navigate adversity and strive toward a more peaceful and prosperous world, leveraging our strengths, voices and resources to build a better future for all.

Thank you.