In her statement delivered this morning before the General Assembly, Minister Dunya questioned whether, in celebrating its 70th anniversary, the United Nations had achieved its goal, as set out in the Charter, of serving the people. The Organization has partially succeeded in its mission, but has notably failed to protect the environment.
She emphasized the importance of reforming the Organization in order to ensure that the newly adopted Agenda for Sustainable Development are achieved: “A new way of approaching the global challenges of our time is necessary. So let us start organizing our work differently.” A key way in which this can be achieved, she noted, is to redefine how we perceive security, noting that climate change is a threat to international security.
“Building the resilience of our people must remain at the center of all our efforts: abroad and at home”, said Minister Dunya. The national development program currently being implemented by President Yameen is demonstrative of this process. The Foreign Minister emphasized that ensuring the respect for and commitment to the rule of law is a cornerstone of the Maldives. Notably, rule of law is essential to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The Foreign Minister further noted the resilience and will of the Maldives to bring to the forefront key climate change issues and its capacity to ensure concrete decisions are taken.
