Position paper for Malta
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Malta reaffirms our commitment to reducing space-based threats. We have taken actions to cosponsor the draft resolution being considered by the UN, called (A/C.1/78/L.15 / revised as A/RES/78/20) “Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours.” Malta will ensure that the resolution explicitly addresses threats like debris to protect peaceful services that depend on space. We emphasize cooperation and collective action between countries with the goal of making outer space more safe. This also means prohibiting the usage of any autonomous weapons. Furthermore, Malta has been taking strong action to limit the proliferation of space-based autonomous weapons. Malta voted in favor of Draft Resolution L.77 restricting lethal autonomous weapons systems (technological weapons, AI, machines, and military robots). We stand by the belief that weapons are to be used by humans and not AI or robots. As technology continues to advance, Malta will continue to advocate for this belief. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects |
| Paper text: | |
| Malta reaffirms our commitment to international peace and security, specifically with regard to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. The illicit trade and misuse of SALW is a clear and direct threat to international peace and security, and we have seen how these weapons fuel conflict and gender-based violence. We also emphasize the importance of the UN Programme of Action (PoA), along with the International Tracing Instrument (ITI). These are both essential tools for cooperation between states and effective transparency. We support the use of global tracing systems and data sharing to prevent illicit weapon transfers and to continue to keep our nations safe. We would like to restate what we have emphasized in the past, namely, that the illicit trade and the misuse of small arms and light weapons has a direct impact on the fight against terrorism, the protection of human rights, and humanitarian access. We believe that owning SALW comes with significant responsibility and must be regulated. By the collaboration of nations, we can further advance collective security and save lives while reducing the human cost of illicit small arms and light weapons. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence |
| Paper text: | |
| Malta believes that the role of the United Nations is to be a symbol of hope. We stress that it is imperative to find lasting solutions to challenges regarding gender, race, religion, age, disability, and sexual equality. We affirm the UN’s statement that “global problems require global solutions”. We emphasize that the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a key tool for ensuring globalization leads to inclusive growth and fairness in regard to human rights. Malta stresses the importance of working with other smaller nations to help developing countries in a way that acknowledges global interdependence as well as local specificity. We affirm that the national prosperity of Malta is heavily dependent on global systems and therefore stress the importance of working together with the UN to protect the health and economic uses of the sea. Malta would also like to reaffirm our support of “islands for islands” initiatives and integrated ocean governance. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Malta believes in the fundamental truth that as leaders within the United Nations endowed with power and influence, we bear a collective responsibility to safeguard our planet from all forms of harm, including those that arise from the pollution of mankind. Global temperatures have risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius as a result of human activities and show little to no signs of slowing down in the foreseeable future. As a small island nation in the Mediterranean, the Republic of Malta has already and will continue to experience the effects of climate change through rising sea levels, increased temperatures, and damage to marine ecosystems. In response to this crisis, Malta fully supports the United Nations’ adoption and implementation of the Paris Agreement, which supports global mitigation and adaptation measures to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Republic of Malta is legally bound to reach climate neutrality as of 2050 under the 2024 Climate Action Act, updated from the 2021 Low Carbon Developmental Strategy. Recognizing the growing threat of climate change, Malta urges the international community to unite in its efforts to protect our shared environment. As said by our former Malta president, George Vella, “it is the duty of all of us to act in this direction and to adopt concrete policies to this effort. Raise public awareness, educate, and inspire in everyone the ethics of environmental responsibility. Not only for the present, but also for the future of our children and generations to come.” Malta emphasizes the urgent need for collective global action and sustainable development to address the crippling effects of climate change. Malta calls upon developed nations to uphold their financial commitments to protect and defend the precious environment of our world. Only together, as an international community, can we preserve the planet for present and future generations. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination |
| Paper text: | |
| We, as the Republic of Malta, reassert the notion that all people shall reserve the right to be governed as they see fit. Conflicts over the right of self-determination is a pressing issue in today’s global climate. Many times, these conflicts result in the creation of a new state that is governed by the people who wished to self-determine. Furthermore, Malta believes all people shall have the right to set their own governmental standards, whether it be freedom from a colonial power or freedom from a tyrannical government. In 1964, Malta itself saw the freedom that can exist for a nation when it is released from the hold of a colonial power that oversaw it for years. Referencing the UN Charter, Article 73 discusses the basic principle that “Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self- government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter, the well- being of the inhabitants of these territories…” Malta stands by these statements as marked in the UN Charter. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas |
| Paper text: | |
| Malta reaffirms its commitment, under our national constitution and through the Gender Equality and Mainstream Strategy & Action Plan (Gemsap), to ensure that all women and girls share the same rights, opportunities, and protections regardless of location. Malta recognizes that gender equality and women's empowerment are fundamental human rights essential to rural progress. Even within small and highly developed states, rural and surrounding communities face distinct challenges that require targeted and inclusive policy. With this in mind, Malta emphasizes improving the situation of women and girls in rural areas through universal strategies and circumstantial measures. These universal strategies guarantee equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Circumstantial measures address communities' unique social, cultural, and financial barriers. Malta remains committed to advancing solutions that promote equality, opportunity, and ensure that no woman or girl is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Our ocean, our future, our responsibility |
| Paper text: | |
| Malta has always been at the forefront on maritime and marine related issues. As a maritime nation, strategically located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta has made its own contribution to international efforts towards the conservation and sustainable use of our seas and oceans. The Republic of Malta utilizes the ocean as a prime resource for maritime international trade. Malta has taken the lead in jointly developing the ‘Climate Vulnerability and Resilience Index’–a practical resource to help small islands identify and prepare for the effects of climate change. As the threat of rising sea levels grows, safeguarding the health of our seas and oceans becomes crucial. Malta remains, and will always remain, at the forefront of efforts to protect our oceans. Malta continues to work within the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, under which, inter alia, pollution levels are also monitored. Malta has worked with the EU Maritime Transport Ministers to reduce the amount of sulfur in oceans since 2020. The Republic of Malta has consistently spoken up in the Security Council about the existential threat from rising sea levels. Malta will always remain unwavering in our support for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations |
| Paper text: | |
| Malta is dedicated to promoting equality, development, and protection for underdeveloped nations in crisis through humanitarian assistance. Malta has already taken steps to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries. We have done this through the Official Development Assistance (ODA), which supports global development and humanitarian needs in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We aim to reshape aid delivery mechanisms to ensure that all aid is more focused, relevant, and effective at meeting long-term needs such as education and health care. Malta shall continue to contribute financially to assist the nationals of ODA-eligible countries affected by natural or man-made disasters through humanitarian or development assistance. Malta recognizes the immediate needs in Africa, specifically in Libya. Malta will continue to prioritize Africa as a means of promoting stability and prosperity in Malta’s and Europe’s immediate neighborhood and beyond. Malta remains committed towards reaching the sustainable development targets of the 2030 Agenda, and at the same time endeavors to promote equitable development for all in such a way that no one is left behind. | |
| Committee: | IAEA |
| Topic: | Nuclear security |
| Paper text: | |
| International nuclear security is of the utmost importance to the Republic of Malta. As a
nation with high population density, nuclear weapons pose a great threat to our people.
This is why we are calling for total nuclear disarmament across the globe. For too long,
people of all nations have lived in fear of nuclear arms; it is time for action.
Securing nuclear weapons is only a small part of nuclear security. To ensure the safety of all member states, we must improve the security of all nuclear technologies. Though we do not possess any nuclear installations, we recognize the good they can cause when properly regulated. We believe that it is the responsibility of nations with nuclear installations to provide increased transparency surrounding their operations with IAEA inspections. Every nation has a right to research nuclear technologies, but there are also responsibilities that come with that research. One of these responsibilities is the safe disposal of nuclear waste. Plutonium is one of the most problematic examples of nuclear waste. Seventy tons of reactor grade plutonium are created each year from nuclear power plants. This plutonium has the potential to be weaponized by both states and bad actors alike. To increase global security, we must secure plutonium. The Republic of Malta urges our fellow members to export all plutonium from nuclear installations to secure, IAEA inspected, underground locations in an effort to minimize the risks associated with nuclear waste. As nuclear technology continues to mature, it assimilates other technologies. Over the past few decades, many nuclear installations have shifted from analog to digital electronics. Though there are many benefits to these digital systems, they introduce the risks of cybercrime to nuclear technologies. We are concerned about the threat these installations could pose if they are hacked. To combat these threats, we would advise all nations to update their cybersecurity programs. Every system has vulnerabilities, but with proper precautions, we can minimize the damage these vulnerabilities can cause. | |
| Committee: | IAEA |
| Topic: | Strengthening the Agency's activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications |
| Paper text: | |
| Though most nuclear technologies are unrealistic to implement in Malta at this time, we recognize the good they can cause and encourage the continued development and use of them. We are particularly interested in furthering research into medical applications of nuclear science as well as clean energy from nuclear sources. This branch of science can be used to enable the United Nations to achieve its goals and therefore, must be researched. Recent initiatives such as “Rays of Hope,” “Atoms4Food”, and “NUTEC Plastics” serve as excellent examples of impactful applications of nuclear technologies. These initiatives have helped the UN combat cancer, decrease food insecurity, and reduce pollution in our oceans. The solution to many of the world’s problems may lie in undiscovered nuclear technologies which is why we believe it is worth researching. When researching nuclear technologies international cooperation should be a primary focus. International cooperation allows all nations to contribute, even non-nuclear nations like ours. Additional international cooperation provides increased transparency surrounding nuclear installations and can help to reduce unsanctioned applications of nuclear science. A cooperative approach also yields more progress for all nations, which in turn can improve the lives of people of all nations. The Technical Cooperation Programme is a great start but there is still more work to be done. | |
| Committee: | CND |
| Topic: | Promoting alternative development as a development-oriented drug control strategy that is sustainable and inclusive |
| Paper text: | |
| As our world has long been affected by heavy drug use, which harms the lives of millions around the world, it falls to us to restrict and aid these people affected by drug use. Our first goal needs to be to ensure law enforcement and proper government channels have the resources to block the importation and distribution of illicit substances within our country and the European Union as a whole. To do this we must provide the proper resources, manpower, and information to law enforcement to arrest and stop the importation of illicit substances, and have zero tolerance towards the illegal distribution of drugs within our borders. We must also ensure that international organizations dedicated to stopping the international drug trade have appropriate resources to conduct their operations. Secondly, while we believe that it is important to have zero tolerance towards those who illegally import and distribute illicit substances, we also believe that there can be no end to drug abuse in our countries without giving those affected by using drugs a path for rehabilitation and recovery. Our plan is to train and provide those affected by drug use proper access to experts and programs to rehabilitate them and give those affected a path to recovery. It is our government's belief that while we should imprison those who distribute illicit substances and criminalize the possession and use of illicit substances, it is unjust to imprison the victims of drug use. Instead, we must require them to attend counseling with experts and join programs to help them recover from their abuse of these substances to ensure they do not fall back into abuse after they are released. | |
| Committee: | CND |
| Topic: | Promoting comprehensive and scientific evidence-based early prevention |
| Paper text: | |
| With the ever evolving and growing drug trade across the globe, it has become of great importance for us to find solutions to be able to effectively reduce drug abuse in Malta and around the world. Malta believes in the importance and cooperation of civil society with the help of the scientific community and academia to assist in the making of drug policy. With the assistance of these sectors we can develop drug strategies to reduce drug demand and supply on the national level along with coordination on the international level that are aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. All drug policies must be based on evidence and best practice through effective monitoring systems. We believe having accurate, reliable, and relevant data will help understand the evolving drug trade of new substances and markets. In Malta we have built drug information systems that have helped us better understand drug users. We believe that it is better to treat individual drug users rather than to punish users. The system we have developed in Malta can be instituted on the international level. Malta promotes an international drug policy that develops systems that better understand drug users and treat them. Malta stands firm in defence of basic human rights and we believe that this strategy promotes and respects the dignity of every human being. We hope that others will join us in this approach as we all tackle the ever expanding drug problem in our world today. | |
| Committee: | COI-2005 |
| Topic: | Commission of Inquiry on Darfur |
| Paper text: | |
| The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when ethnically non-Arab groups such as the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa rebelled against the government in Khartoum. This resulted in state forces and Janjaweed militias to counter the uprising, which led to widespread killings, displacement, and the destruction of communities. The Commission’s line of inquiry concerns whether these actions meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 Convention, and whether there was specific intent to destroy particular ethnic groups. Some key questions to address include the degree of coordination between the Sudanese government and Janjaweed leadership, the level of civilian targeting, and whether the policies set by the state contributed to systematic violence. If these questions are resolved, they will have a large impact on how accountability is pursued, with the potential of recommending international judicial systems like the International Criminal Court. Some of the major obstacles to the Commission’s work may include difficulty accessing affected areas, lack of cooperation from national authorities, and regional instability. The Commission might also recommend that the Security Council should support stronger field access for investigators, ways to enforce the disarmament of militias, and more assistance for evidence collecting efforts. Additionally, witnesses that would likely be of assistance to the inquiry could include survivors and displaced people from affected villages, African Union (AU) ceasefire monitors, and legal experts who specialize in international humanitarian and genocide law, whose testimony could clarify the context of violence in Darfur. | |
| Committee: | COI-2005 |
| Topic: | Commission of Experts to Review the Prosecution of Serious Violations of Human Rights in Timor-Leste (then East Timor) in 1999 |
| Paper text: | |
| Following the 1999 United Nations supervised referendum in which the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia, pro-integration militias, often supported by elements of the Indonesian armed forces, carried out widespread violence resulting in mass killings and displacement. The Commission’s inquiry focuses on whether the resulting judicial processes, such as the Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court in Jakarta, and the Special Panels for Serious Crimes under the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, have effectively ensured justice and accountability. Some key questions include the degree of prosecution of senior officials, reasons for the widespread acquittals or overturned convictions, and the obstacles faced by courts in Timor that had to do with securing suspects and protecting witnesses. The resolution of these questions will help make recommendations to strengthen judicial cooperation between Indonesia and Timor- Leste. The Commission may recommend better cooperation frameworks, stronger witness protection, and the creation of reparation programs to allow reconciliation. Additionally, witnesses and experts who could assist might include former judges, prosecutors, and Indonesian legal officials. | |
| Committee: | SC-B |
| Topic: | Sustainable patterns of migration and refugee resettlement |
| Paper text: | |
| As war, famine, and natural disasters continue to ravage the globe, unprecedented numbers of people are migrating from their country of origin in search of new opportunities. Malta acknowledges the plight of these migrants and wholeheartedly supports humanitarian efforts aimed at easing their resettlement process. However, the increasing influx of these refugees and asylum seekers is putting unsustainable levels of strain on Malta’s public services and social safety net. While acknowledging that Malta is geographically the first stop on the path of migrants crossing the Mediterranean via small watercraft, it is clear that the desired destination of the vast majority of these migrants is mainland Europe. Thus, Malta looks for the assistance of the nations of the EU with these asylum seeker’s resettlement process in accordance with Article 18 of The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. More importantly in the long term, Malta is committed to working with and through the Security Council to explore sustainable solutions to regional instabilities and refugee crises. | |
| Committee: | SC-B |
| Topic: | Humanitarian Aid in post conflict context |
| Paper text: | |
| With war and violence, there is a need for humanitarian aid distributed through the correct channels. Malta is committed to continuing to send such aid to countries coming out of conflict and assisting in restabilizing society through both short-term life-saving aid and longer term economic development programs. The geographical location of our island allows for us to effectively distribute humanitarian aid easily to the surrounding areas. Malta commits, as stated in our Official Development and Humanitarian Assistance Policy, to contribute to UN organizations that support humanitarian aid, as well as international humanitarian aid organizations. The Sustainable Development Goals are at the forefront of Malta’s agenda in reaching the target of the 2030 agenda. | |
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