The Maldives has urged the inclusion of a SIDS-specific seat on the United Nations Security Council, as the debate on the Council's reform took place today at the General Assembly.
The Maldives argued that a seat allocated to small island developing states is an important and necessary step towards achieving equitable representation at the Council.
The Maldives drew attention to the legitimacy deficit facing the Security Council, given that certain regions and groups of States have been under-represented in the non-permanent membership and completely excluded from the permanent membership of the Council. Even though all UN Member States are technically eligible to run for a seat, in practice few small states have success due to the prohibitive cost of campaigning for election.
The Maldives highlighted how the current membership is a flawed reflection of the world today: “half of the UN membership are small states; yet the vast majority of small states have never been elected.” Further, one fifth of the UN membership are Small Island Developing States (SIDS); yet 78% of SIDS have never had a seat on the Council, it was stated.
SIDS are a well-established group that share unique challenges. In particular, SIDS are unified by their particular vulnerability to climate change, an issue which is fundamentally related to international security and stability, said the Maldives statement. In its present state, the Council does not have the capacity or political will to address such issues, as it lacks perspectives from small states and the developing world. SIDS representation is vital to ensure that the Council confronts and addresses these critical issues, including the security implications of climate change and natural resource conflicts—before it is too late.
"The question of Security Council reform has gone unanswered for far too long,” noted the Maldives. Joining a chorus of States stressing the urgent need for reform, the Maldives emphasised that the present composition of the Security Council does not mirror the foundational principle of sovereign equality that lies at the core of the United Nations Charter.
Jeffrey Salim Waheed, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, addressed the General Assembly on behalf of the Maldives delegation.
