KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has called for the proportionate sharing of burden and responsibility, as underscored in the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), to resolve the Rohingya issue, as its resources and capacities are already stretched, further compounded by Covid-19.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in his intervention at the 11th Asean-United Nations Summit today, said Malaysia can no longer take in more refugees as the spillover effects of the crisis in Rakhine, Myanmar, continue to affect countries in the region.
The United Nations General Assembly affirmed the GCR on December 17, 2018, after two years of extensive consultations led by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
It is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognising that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation.
The four key objectives are to ease the pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, expand access to third-country solutions, and support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.
Touching on the Palestinian cause, Muhyiddin said Malaysia’s position on the matter remains clear and consistent.
“Malaysia calls for the UN and the international community to further deliberate and implement concrete steps to alleviate the hardships of the oppressed Palestinians.”
He also called on global leaders to combat terrorism, and restore peace and stability.
As countries worldwide battle to flatten the Covid-19 curve, he said, several terror attacks that took place in Europe recently showed that the “terrorism curve”, too, needs to be flattened.
“On disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, we should not lose sight of the imperativeness of the general and complete elimination of nuclear weapons, even in the wake of Covid-19.
“Let me express my government’s appreciation to all parties that joined the Statement of Support for the UN Secretary-General’s Appeal for a Global Ceasefire amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said Malaysia’s recent ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons demonstrates the country’s unequivocal support for this agenda. – Bernama, November 15, 2020
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