Mr. President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government of Malaysia, I wish to congratulate the Government of Portugal for hosting this first World!, Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth. This is indeed a mile-stone event.

Mr. President,

2. Malaysia, with a very young population, is indeed committed to youth development as we believe that it is vital to the success of our socio-economic development. As, such we have formulated a National Youth Policy in 1985 to ensure that our youth are spiritually, physically and mentally fit.

3. Various youth development programmes undertaken by the Government, the private sector and the NGOs and in many occasions in partnership between the Government and these bodies have been and are being. implemented to nurture youth's potential and talents and to harness their energies towards national development. We are determined to develop a generation of young men and women who are not only educated, skilled and disciplined but also imbued with strong leadership qualities and high moral values. This is because we believe that a resilient young community will contribute positively to nation building.

Mr. President,

4. At the regional and international level, we are no less committed to youth development. We have hosted various regional and international conferences and events relating to youth. In November last year, we hosted the 2 d ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth which resulted in the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Agenda on ASEAN Youth Development. Recently in May, we hosted the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting which resulted in the adoption of important conclusions and recommendations.

5. In a few weeks, Malaysia is proud and honoured to host the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. This event will see young men and women from the Commonwealth countries gathering together to channel their energies for a good cause - the promotion of better understanding, solidarity, comradeship and esprit de corps through sports.

6. We are very appreciative of the support of national, regional and international youth organizations such as the Malaysian Youth Council, the World Youth Foundation and the Asian Youth Council. Both the World Youth Foundation and the Asian Youth Council have their Secretariat in Malaysia. These and other NGOs have contributed much to our youth development programmes.

Mr. President,

7. On the issue of drug and drug-related problems confronting our youth, we have at the national level a National Drug Policy focussing on the priorities of prevention; enforcement; treatment . and rehabilitation; and international cooperation.

8. While most countries give more priority to law enforcement, Malaysia believes that prevention in the long run is the best policy. In this context we would like to see the promotion and encouragement of more prevention programmes which need to begin as early as pre-school in order to provide positive influences in the development of the child.

9. On international cooperation, as the drug problem knows no boundary, Malaysia has taken a leading role in the fight against drug trafficking at various international bodies. We believe that to combat the drug menace, there must be the need for a continuous review of joint efforts among all affected states. We are of the view that the anti-drug efforts require a comprehensive, continuous, balanced and multidisciplinary approach in order to be effective.

Mr. President,

10. The issues confronting youth are many. Our commitment is strong. My Government is convinced that the outcome of our deliberations will result in more focus and priorities on the challenges facing our younger generation.

11. In conclusion, I wish to express my Government's deep appreciation to the Government of Portugal for the very warm hospitality and courtesy extended to the Malaysian delegation.

Thank you.