Maldives Co-Chairs Commonwealth Small States Meeting, Calls for Reformed Advocacy and Implementable Investments

The Maldives co-chaired the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States held in Antigua and Barbuda, with Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam addressing the opening and closing ceremonies. In his remarks, Minister Adam stated that relationships with financial institutions and development partners must be strengthened further to secure investments that can be implemented for small countries. The Foreign Minister highlighted the challenges faced by small countries, noting that their economies are being exposed to risks due to global challenges, leading to a lack of financial assistance and investment opportunities. He also stated that climate change places pressure on limited resources, creating obstacles to sustaining national development and building resilience. While Maldives is also facing these challenges, the Minister highlighted the goal of transforming the country into a developed nation by the year 2040, stating that achieving this goal requires a conducive international environment. Minister Iruthisham called for strengthening the Commonwealth advocacy system, stating that it must protect the interests of small countries rather than just raising awareness. He also emphasized the need to strengthen relationships with international financial institutions, development partners, and the private sector to ensure sustainable financial assistance for small countries, targeting areas such as climate resilience, energy transition, business, sustainable debt management, and digital transformation. In his closing speech, the Minister emphasized the importance of ensuring small countries are represented in decision-making at the international level, noting that Maldives' candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the term 2028-2030 and for the UN Security Council for the term 2033-2034 aims to expand the role played by small countries in decision-making.