Brunei Darussalam has joined calls for increased action against religious hatred, especially Islamophobia and anti-Islam sentiments, said Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof at the General Debate of the 78th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Saturday.
“Justifying religious hatred, even under the pretext of freedom of expression, is unacceptable,” said the minister after stating that the Sultanate joins the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the UN Alliance of Civilizations and UN member states that have called for increase action against religious hatred.
“Our pursuit for peace will only be worthwhile if we address the root causes of such acts, especially those promoting discord, intolerance and hatred,” said the minister, referring to “deliberate actions, like the burning of the Holy Quran, the very centre of Islamic faith”, adding that such actions, “provokes disharmony, erodes trust, underminds efforts towards sustainable peace and threatens unity”.
Meanwhile, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Erywan said the UN plays a central role in mobilising resources and coordinating international efforts to bring, peace, development and prosperity to its member states.
“As we move towards a new global order in a multipolar world, small states like Brunei Darussalam recognise and appreciate the importance of the UN in maintaining international peace and security, through a rules-based order,” he said.
“We will continue to uphold the very principles this organisation was founded on, almost eight decades ago, in particular respect for the sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of all states.
“Therefore, Brunei Darussalam is ready to forge a new global consensus that preserves these values while addressing emerging issues and resolving existing challenges,” said the minister.
On Palestine, the minister said the country strongly condemns actions that “blatantly violate the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people”.
He noted that Palestine is evident of the UN’s collective failure, as it has continuously been denied of its fundamental freedoms safeguarded under the UN Charter.
“The 75th anniversary of the Na’kba earlier this year served as a reminder of how long and intolerable it has been for the Palestinian people to be deprived of their rights to self-rule, self-determination, and peace. For most, they have spent their entire lives under occupation,” he said.
ASEAN CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
The minister said the country presented its second voluntary National Review Report in July, highlighting its progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We have made significant strides and are on track across several goals,” said the minister, adding that they were in line with Brunei Vision 2035.
However, Brunei also faced challenges, he said. “For us, this was mainly in the area of reliable data collection. It has hindered monitoring and evaluating accurately the progress towards achieving the SDGs. Nonetheless, our country is actively working towards addressing this issue, including by working together more closely through our regional mechanisms, namely ASEAN.”
The minister said ASEAN recently signed an agreement to officially launch the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change in Brunei Darussalam.
“It will facilitate and assist in collecting data towards addressing the challenges of climate action and serve as a regional hub and research facility that aims to enhance capacity in our efforts to mitigate and combat climate change.
“The centre will be operational by the end of the year, and we would welcome any support from interested member states or international organisations to this regional effort,” he said.
REBUILDING TRUST
Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan said the theme for the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, ‘Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity’, builds upon the UN secretary-general’s vision for the future of multilateralism, “which better responds and delivers for the people and the planet and to get the world back on track with the SDGs”
“Nevertheless, in our increasingly interconnected modern world, trust and solidarity can only be achieved with tolerance and respect,” said the minister.
The minister said after experiencing a global health crisis with far-reaching consequences, “one was hoping that we would have emerged more united in our shared resolve”.
“Unfortunately, the reality we see is quite different,” said the minister. “We find ourselves amidst humanitarian crises and global mistrust of international institutions and between states, that threaten our collective progress.
“Therefore, to ensure a better future for generations to come, it is crucial that we refuse to accept actions that divide us or conflicts that oppress us,” he said, adding that “we must not let mistrust overpower our unity”.
