High-level Meeting to Commemorate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the United Nations
21 September 2020
Malaysia
His Excellency Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin
Statement Summary
MUHYIDDIN MOHD YASSIN, Prime Minister of Malaysia, said that nearly 40,000 people responded to the UN75 survey within the first three months of its launching, expressing a desire for a United Nations that better protects the environment, promotes human rights, reduces conflicts and focuses on promoting access to basic services, including health. Unfortunately, in recent years certain countries disregarded the Paris Agreement and other efforts to address pressing concerns, he said, adding that he hoped that trend would stop, as States must take heed of what people want and hope for. Given current challenges, he said, “we must remember that since COVID?19 does not discriminate, our response should not too.” While acknowledging gains over the past decades, he said the Organization has somewhat failed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, as many people are still suffering due to conflicts, which remain unresolved in various parts of the world. Reform must address this. The Organization needs to be better equipped, not just with political latitude, but with the continued support of its Member States to respond to world’s most glaring problems. The time is right to take stock of the United Nations achievements, improve on its weaknesses and remove all obstacles that prevent its continued progress. “Let us move forward together in building the future we want and the United Nations we need,” he said.
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