WFUNA : Interactive Dialogue with APG Candidates for United Nations Security Council for the term 2019-2020

Remarks by H E Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN

14 May 2018

 

Thank you for your questions and comments, and the support you have shown to the Maldives.

Once again, I would like to thank WFUNA, for organising this interactive dialogue today. The Maldives is seeking to get elected to the Security Council, for the first time in its 53-year membership of the UN.

We announced our candidature ten years go, in January 2008. We wish to be a member of the Security Council because we believe in the principles of justice, fairness, and equitable geographical distribution, and the principle of rotation. Because every country deserves this opportunity. We wish to be a member of the Council because the international security landscape is now dominated by emerging threats. And we are being impacted the most from such threats.

The Maldives and other SIDS wish to contribute to shaping the global response to these threats. And take part in the decisions, on international peace and security. We know we can offer a different, and unique perspective.

When elected to the Council, we will represent the interests of the General Assembly in the Council; we will be your voice in the Council.

We will reach out to you – Member States, regional and sub-regional organisations, and other stakeholders.

We will work on making the Council's decisions, more informed of the negative consequences of climate change.

We will focus on building the capacity of the State to prevent, manage, and overcome conflicts.

We will reinforce the link between peace and development.

We will continue to enhance the Council's focus on non-traditional security threats.

We all agree that we cannot keep on doing the same thing, expecting different results.

If the General Assembly were to elect the same countries to the Security Council, over and over again, it cannot expect different results; to see a meaningful change in the Council, it requires new members, with new ideas, and new approaches. And that's precisely what the Maldives will do.

Today, we are nearly at the end of our journey. A journey we began ten years ago. And we are ready!

Ready to be your representative on the Council.

Ready to be an agent for building consensus, and building bridges.

Ready to do our part in contributing meaningfully,

in crafting the shared solutions, that determine our shared destiny.

Thank you.