At the 54th Session of the Commission on Social Development, Maldives noted that the Government of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is committed to translating the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals into the domestic sphere through a strategically envisioned national mechanism. The Maldives urged the International Community to reiterate its commitment to the Copenhagen Declaration of Action adopted at the World Summit for Social Development. The Maldives also emphasized the international community to embark on inclusive and people centered development in the context of the newly adopted 2030 Agenda.
His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Maldives, who delivered the statement, stressed that the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires Governments to strengthen the social dimension of sustainable development in a more coherent and integrated manner. Governments have to identify the root causes of
inequality and ensure resilient and sustainable development for all. "The Maldives believes that people must remain at the heart of development and that its citizens should be included in the formulation of policies to advance their rights", told the Maldives at the plenary of the Session.
Education, health, decent jobs and social protection are high priorities of the Government of the Maldives. The national development programme devised by the Government focuses on the empowerment of all; women, children, youth, persons with disabilities as well as the elderly. For instance, in the past two years, more than 7,000 jobs have been created and several skills development programmes have been launched for youth, significant progress has been made on related development projects, such as those on sanitation, water and infrastructure in the Maldives and numerous legislations have been introduced to further strengthened the legal framework to protect women, and young girls from violence and sexual abuse.
As a country at the frontlines of climate change, climate adaptation costs are high, placing additional burdens on an already tight budget for its expenditure on social development. By identifying the challenge of building resilient societies through sustainable adaptation mechanisms to counter the side effects of climate change, which will be fundamental to the survival and viability of SIDS, the Maldives noted the importance of considering these aspects in the implementation of the global goals.
