“Our destiny is determined by our smart ideas: and smarter actions” says Minister Dunya at the closing session of the Ministerial Meeting of AOSIS being held in Seychelles from 11 to 12 November 2014. Speaking on the arrangements by the Maldives, on taking over the Chair of AOSIS on 1 January 2015, Minister Dunya assured the membership of AOSIS that the Maldives stands ready to take on the responsibilities of the Chairmanship during what would be a crucial year for small island developing states. The Minister further thanked the AOSIS membership for the confidence and trust placed in the Maldives, as well as recognised the leadership of Nauru over the past three years.
The Meeting considered developments in the negotiations under the UNFCCC, as well as the issue of climate finance, and the linkages between sustainable development and climate change. The Ministers discussed ways on further strengthening collaboration between AOSIS members during COP20 in Lima later this year, and in 2015, leading up to COP21 in Paris where a legally-binding agreement on climate change is expected to be adopted, as well as throughout the finalisation of the post-2015 development agenda to be adopted next year.
The Ministers reaffirmed the core principles of AOSIS, as well as the urgent need for the world to take action on climate change, which poses a development and existential threat to SIDS.
The Maldivian delegation to the Meeting was headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Dunya Maumoon. She was joined by Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the UN Mr Ahmed Sareer, Director at the Mnistry of Environment and Energy Mr Ahmed Waheed and Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms Mariyam Midhfa Naeem.
