State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel attended and delivered a statement at the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Ministerial Meeting of NAM was held on Wednesday, 24 September 2022, under the theme of “The Role for the Non-Aligned Movement in Post-Pandemic Global Recovery: The Way Forward”.
In his statement, State Minister Khaleel highlighted the various issues and crises happening all over the world today, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, erosion of basic human rights and democratic norms, and the increase in conflict and bloodshed. He noted that it is the responsibility of the NAM to come together and resolve these issues to build a more resilient and peaceful world.
State Minister Khaleel stated that it was countries in special situations, like LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, that bore disproportionate burdens during the pandemic. He noted that trying times like these highlight the necessity of multilateral alliances such as the NAM. On that note, State Minister Khaleel stated that without the assistance of international partners, especially NAM member states, the Maldives would not have been able to contain the viral spread, expand healthcare capacity, and rollout a highly effective national vaccination program.
State Minister Khaleel called on the NAM to take the initiative to provide direct economic assistance, concessional financing, and debt-relief to LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS members. He further stated that the NAM must emphasize the need for a more sustainable debt-architecture, which include both extending the loan-moratoriums enacted during the pandemic or outright debt-forgiveness.
State Minister Khaleel highlighted the pressing issue of climate crisis, especially for SIDs like the Maldives. He noted that assistance of the NAM is needed, especially in terms of climate financing and investment in mitigation and adaptation measures.
Concluding his statement, State Minister Khaleel noted that now, more than ever, members of the NAM must come together to uphold the multilateral system. He further assured that the Maldives will always stay true to the values and principles of the NAM.
The Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and was attended by up to fifty Foreign Ministers of the NAM members states, as well as by Deputy Ministers and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations.
