The Maldives called on the United Nations to ensure that the progress made by countries graduating from the UN category of Least Developed Countries are not reversed during the transition process, and that their inherent vulnerabilities are not ignored. Speaking at the Second Committee Debate on Groups of Countries in Special Situations, Ambassador Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations reflected on the graduation process of the Maldives, the challenges faced and potential solutions.
The Maldives graduated from Least Developed Country status in 2011. Before graduation, the Maldives had been a vocal critic of the graduation criteria, which does not adequately reflect holistically the advancements, or the vulnerabilities of a country. While Maldives had a high GPD per capita, its Economic Vulnerability Index score was the eleventh highest among a group of 130 developing countries, largely on account of the country's high exposure to shocks due to the small size of its population, the share of population living in low elevated coastal zones, and high export concentration.
This shows the extreme vulnerability of Maldives and other SIDS to natural and economic shocks, which was highlighted by the devastation caused by Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which delayed graduation for three years: a pattern repeated in many of the recently assessed countries for graduation.
The Maldives has, since graduation, been a staunch advocate for the adequate and effective implementation of smooth transition strategies. SIDS like the Maldives continue to face high financial burdens due to high cost of service delivery on account of their unique geography, high debt burdens, and the rising cost of adaptation to climate change. However, the Maldives noted that very little substantive change has occurred since its graduation in terms of assisting countries after graduation, and reflecting adequately on the graduation criteria.
