New York, 24 September 2016; In keeping with its long-standing tradition of advocacy and awareness building on issues relating to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and in its capacity as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Maldives continued to actively participate in several activities throughout the course of the high-level week of the seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The events highlighted some of most critical issues for SIDS, such as climate change, renewable energy, oceans, seas and marine life, even on aspects of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through the mandates of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As head of the Maldives Delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Asim, made several interventions calling on its partners, the international community and the United Nations to continue to support SIDS as they try to build resilient and sustainable environments for their populace, as they forge to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the obligations of the SAMOA Pathway, Paris Agreement under UNFCCC, Addis Abba Action Agenda on Financing for Development, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Throughout the week, Minister Asim drew examples from Maldives, and even highlighted the advancements Maldives is making in the areas of solar powered renewable energy and matters as it relates to the seas and marine life. He also noted some of the challenges SIDS face as small economies with very limited resources, which far too often have to be diverted to mitigate devastation caused by disasters, which have become more frequent and intense. Minister Asim urged the importance of partnerships especially those that go beyond the traditional parameters and are more innovative facilitating overall developmental gains.
Maldives in its capacity as co-chair of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS, with Italy, hosted the first Global Multi-stakeholder Partnership Dialogue, as mandated by the Partnership Framework. The Partnership Dialogue provided opportunities for the announcement of new partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS, as well as discuss the challenges and best practices of working with SIDS. Additionally, Maldives in its capacity as Chair of AOSIS hosted a lunch event for AOSIS Ministers intended to bring together the AOSIS community to strategize further on its path to achieving the mandates set out in the SAMOA Pathway. Maldives also spoke at a reception held by United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Land-locked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, highlighting the importance of continuous support to the sustainable development of SIDS, especially in the context of the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In these events, Minister Asim was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, and Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Ambassador/ Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
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