UN commends Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair, advocating for Palestine cause - Mohamad

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the recognition was personally conveyed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly here.

He added that Guterres reaffirmed the UN's full support for Malaysia in carrying out its responsibilities as ASEAN Chair.

"Guterres greatly appreciates and commends Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair. In fact, during our meeting, he personally stated that he will attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.

"I also handed over the invitation letter (to the Summit) from the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) to the UN Secretary-General today," Mohamad told a press conference at Malaysia's Permanent Mission to the UN on Friday.

He added that in the meeting, Guterres also expressed his delight with Malaysia's role and firm stance on the Palestinian issue, including the Prime Minister's strong statements championing the cause on the international stage.

"Guterres said Malaysia's actions are in line with his aspirations as UN Secretary-General, and he will extend support in whatever form Malaysia and ASEAN may need to ensure that the Palestinian issue -- which he described as going beyond humanitarian limits -- is addressed effectively until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamad, who also attended the Coordination Meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers at the UN headquarters, said Malaysia's strong position on the Palestinian cause has also been recognised by the organisation.

"Many countries appreciated the Prime Minister's firm speech in Doha (the national statement at the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit).

"And now is the time for us to act -- time to ensure what we have declared is implemented in a coordinated fashion. We are urging that the OIC's voice and decisions be elevated at the UN and carried out as soon as possible," he said.

At the meeting, Mohamad also announced an additional contribution of about RM420,000 (US$100,000) to the OIC Humanitarian Trust Fund for Rohingya.

In addition, Mohamad also held discussions with his counterparts from Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkiye and Slovenia, as well as UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

"During the meeting, Slovenia expressed interest in enhancing bilateral relations with Malaysia, and we will work towards establishing senior-level engagements between Malaysia and Slovenia," he said.

In a separate development, Mohamad informed that he also handed over Malaysia's instrument of accession to the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space to UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel Elinor Jane Britt Hammarskjold at the organisation's headquarters today.

The Convention aims to establish a transparent and accountable system for the registration of space objects, thereby enhancing space safety, transparency and international cooperation.