Kuala Lumpur: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can play a more proactive role in reforming the United Nations (UN) to enable it to address mounting global challenges and questions over the organization's credibility, participants at a forum heard on Tuesday.
In his remarks at a forum on the topic "The United Nations and Multilateralism", United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM) President Mustapa Mohamed said Malaysia, which is also the chair of the ASEAN grouping for 2025, has long held a principled foreign policy and longstanding advocacy for justice and international law, strengthening its standing to champion reform within the UN.
"We are deeply concerned by the increasing challenges facing multilateralism and the United Nations. The credibility and effectiveness of the UN are being questioned at a time when global cooperation is more critical than ever," he said.
"Malaysia, together with ASEAN, should take a proactive role in advocating for urgent reform of the United Nations. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, and call for reforms that reflect today's global realities. We believe in a UN that is capable of strengthening global governance and promoting peace, prosperity, and sustainability for all nations," he added.
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia's Professor Emeritus Johan Saravanamuttu said that despite its flaws, the UN remains the most comprehensive and universal platform for addressing pressing global challenges, explaining that parallel efforts by states, middle powers, small powers, and other multilateral arrangements in various regions are key to helping achieve goals enshrined in the UN Charter.
