Message by Her Excellency Ms Dunya Maumoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives
on the occasion of the UN Day 2015
To be delivered at the informal meeting of the plenary for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations
23 October 2015, New York
Mr. President, Excellencies,
Today, we mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, and as we celebrate, we must remind ourselves of our common purpose, epitomized in the first three words of the Charter, "we the people". The words remind us of our purpose here today, which is to serve humanity, to protect the sanctity of human life.
It is apparent that the world needs the United Nations today, more than ever. Violence, terrorism, and conflict remain rampant: inequality between nations, between people, between women and men, is increasing: ever-growing threats of climate change and environmental degradation challenge us everyday.
Looking back, we recognize in each of our countries, the good work of the United Nations. And as we look forward, to be able to continue doing the same, we must ensure that the UN continues to remain relevant to our times.
Every problem is multi-dimensional: and in that regard our solutions must be holistic. Ensuring coherence, coordination, and institutional and substantive linkages between the issues is of utmost importance. And such an approach is essential for us to sustain the solutions we offer.
We continue to address development with the same stroke. Yet, no one size fits all. Small Island Developing States like the Maldives face different kinds of challenges that require different responses. Yet the relevant institutions, including the UN, have not caught up to this fact. We make up nearly one-fifth of the UN Membership, yet we remain under-represented in many of the processes that define our destiny. This must change.
This year presented a unique opportunity for us, the international community to address our common problem of eradicating poverty, and achieving sustainable development. It is also the year where we expect to take decisive action on combatting climate change. Against these milestones, the UN must also look at how it can be reformed, and revived to address the challenges of our day, taking into account the realities of our times.
The Maldives this year is celebrating fifty years of its Membership at the UN. For us, the UN represents the most legitimate global platform for any country. We believe that the Maldives has proved that size does not stand in the way of upholding the responsibilities to the organization and in finding smart solutions to complex challenges. And we remain unwavering in our belief, and resolute in our commitment to further strengthen our partnership with the UN.
[ENDS]
