In a statement delivered today at the General Assembly of the United Nations, theMaldives welcomed the General Assembly’s decision to grant the status of Non-MemberObserver State for Palestine as a landmark achievement. The Maldives was a co-sponsorof the resolution adopted at the General Assembly on Thursday that won Palestine theenhanced status. The Maldives also strongly backed the initiative by the Palestinians inits bid for full membership in the United Nations last year.
In its statement, the Maldives noted that the peace efforts were being underminedby Israel’s continued expansion of illegal settlements and further highlighted thatIsrael, as the occupying power, continues to operate with total impunity, disregardinginternational humanitarian and human rights law. The Maldives urged Israel to ceaseall illegal settlement activity in the occupied territories in the interest of pursingmeaningful negotiations towards achieving peace with Palestine.
The Maldives also welcomed the recent ceasefire that came into effect between Hamasand Israel, and reiterated that a peaceful settlement of the conflict lies in a two-statesolution, Israel and Palestine living side by side on the basis of pre-1967 borders, withJerusalem as the shared capital of the two states.
The statement was delivered by Mr Amin Javed Faizal, Counsellor at the PermanentMission of the Maldives to the United Nations.
