President Muizzu Calls on World to Honour Climate Pledges at COP31

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has called on the world to respect the pledges made in connection with climate change, to bring reformative changes to the global financial system, and to translate political pledges into tangible results. The President made this call while delivering the Maldives' national statement at the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31). In the President's statement, three main points were presented for emphasis in order to take urgent steps together on climate matters: financial assistance, reform of the financial system, and practical implementation of matters. In this regard, the President said that climate finance must be newly determined, additional, predictable and in the form of grant aid. He also urged increasing funds to the Green Climate Fund, allocating adequate funds to the Adaptation Fund, and fully delivering resources to the Loss and Damage Fund. The President said that vulnerable countries that bear no role in the emergence of climate problems should not have to become indebted in order to recover from those disasters. He also noted that changes must be brought to the international financial system in order to properly recognise the vulnerable situations faced by developing small island states (SIDS). The President said that financial institutions and credit rating agencies must revise the metrics by which they assess climate investments, and that investment must be recognised as an investment in everyone's future rather than as a financial burden. Highlighting the work being done by the Maldives against climate change, the President said that many efforts are underway to ensure food, energy and water security by using the limited financial and other resources available to the Maldives strategically. He also noted that the Maldives is making progress in broadening opportunities to obtain climate finance. In this regard, the President revealed that the Maldives' first 'National Direct Access Entity' has recently been accredited by the Green Climate Fund. Noting that this is the first time such permission has been granted among Asia's small island states, the President said that this is a matter that demonstrates that the Maldives' institutions are ready to obtain climate funds and to use those funds equitably. Noting the importance of practically implementing pledges, the President said that adequate financial assistance, technology transfer, and political will are very important in order to turn climate goals into measurable results. He also advocated for establishing a global system that gives small island states full authority to determine their own development trajectory. The President concluded his statement by calling on the world to prioritise justice and responsibility and to take practical steps. The President also requested that COP31 demonstrate that meaningful results can be produced through systems built jointly by many countries by fulfilling international resolutions and pledges.