I wish to begin by
extending my heartfelt congratulations to the President
of the General Assembly on his assumption of office
at the sixty-eighth session. I also wish to commend
the Secretary-General on his leadership during what
is a trying and testing time around the globe. We are
confident in his leadership and in the Organization’s
resolve in tackling the many unprecedented challenges
of our time.
Challenges, old and new, seem to be a recurring
theme during this general debate, and it is only right
that it be so: it is when we face enormous challenges and
when we feel most uncomfortable, vulnerable, unhappy
and unfulfilled that we are most likely to think above
and beyond and seek new answers to old questions.
The most pressing challenge for the United Nations
is definitely that of remaining relevant, given the
realities of the twenty-first century, as the Organization
remains the ultimate guarantor of the sovereign equality
of nations and the only international institution to which
all countries, big and small, can look to ensure justice,
freedom and peace. The Maldives, along with other
States, has been calling for the reform of the Security
Council to make it more inclusive, and thereby more
credible and reflective of the voices of not only the
powerful but also the weak, and more representative of
the global population and its geographic distribution.
In addition to the Council’s composition, its working
methods must also be improved — only then can the
United Nations restore its credibility, authority and
legitimacy.
Global challenges are of significant importance
to the Maldives. The situation in the Middle East is
particularly close to the hearts of Maldivians. We are
appalled at the human cost of the conflict in Syria. The
use of chemical weapons at any time, by anyone, and for
whatever purpose must not be tolerated. In that regard,
the Maldives welcomes Security Council resolution 2118
(2013), on the destruction of the chemical weapons in
Syria, which was adopted unanimously. The Council’s
decision will, we hope, take us a step closer to ending
the atrocities taking place there as we speak. Violence
begets violence. We therefore call on both sides of the
conflict to choose the path of dialogue, not of violence.
The Maldives also calls on the General Assembly
to recognize the legitimate aspirations of the
Palestinian people. We urge the Assembly to support
a two-State solution through the establishment of the
State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital,
on the lands occupied in the 1967 war. Is it fair that
Palestinian children grow up without a country of their
own? Is it fair that the Palestinian needs for security,
stability, prosperity and development go unanswered
and unfulfilled because of the continued violence? We
have discussed that issue enough. It is time for action.
We are encouraged by the renewed United States-led
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It is our earnest hope
that those talks will ultimately lead to a peaceful and
secure future for future generations of Palestine and
Israel.
With the deadline for the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) fast approaching, the focus of the world
and the Assembly has turned to the post-2015 agenda.
However, accelerating the achievement of the original
Millennium Development Goals remains an urgent
necessity. The Maldives therefore calls on all nations
to fulfil their official development assistance (ODA)
commitments and thereby help the most vulnerable
populations overcome the challenges they face in
achieving the MDGs.
We in the Maldives have made remarkable progress
on the MDGs, having achieved five out of the eight
ahead of the deadline. Although we have not achieved
three of the MDGs, we are proud of the work we
have done towards achieving them, in particular on
the advancement of women. Our country has shown
promise in addressing gender equality, especially in
the area of health and education. It has nearly achieved
universal access to basic health care for women and is
proud of high literacy rates among boys and girls alike.
The Maldives regards improving the socioeconomic
rights of women as an integral part of national
development and a core component of sustainable
development. Unfortunately, we are facing setbacks on
some of the MDGs that have been achieved, and are
even regressing, owing to emerging issues, especially
the loss of ODA as we graduate from the status of a least
developed country (LDC), while persistent challenges
hinder the achievement of the whole set of MDGs.
Therefore, achieving and sustaining the progress on the
MDGs will remain the key development challenge for
the future.
In formulating the post-2015 developmental
agenda, we should be mindful of the fact that MDGs
are multidimensional and interconnected. They are not
an end in themselves or a final solution, but merely a
beginning.
The Maldives is encouraged by the multi-stakeholder
mechanisms that are ongoing within the United
Nations. It is our hope that all of those mechanisms will
be considered holistically and not in isolation, as we
move towards a more concrete post-2015 development
agenda.
It is also our sincere hope that the Millennium
Development Goals will not be left non-fulfilled and
that the post-2015 development agenda and sustainable
development goals (SDGs) are not seen in isolation from
the MDGs. We hope that the sustainable development
goals will be seen as a continuation of the MDGs. The
formulation of the SDGs and the post-2015 development
agenda should complement the achievement of the
MDGs and reflect any gaps therein. We also hope
that no nation will be left without an avenue towards
progression and that no small island developing State
(SIDS) is left behind.
As we talk about the development agenda that
we set for ourselves at the turn of this millennium, I
cannot help but wonder whether the Maldives and other
low-lying island States will survive to see another
century, let alone another millennium. The Maldives
is a small nation with meagre resources that faces
numerous challenges when it comes to food, water
and energy security — a nation that has, despite our
small size, advocated loud and clear for international
actions to address climate change. We have sought to
help the world to see that the right to a safe and secure
environment is a basic human right.
I urge all United Nations institutions to solidify
and strengthen all standards and move towards the
creation of an international mechanism. We need to
strengthen institutions and cultivate a more dependable
and consistent approach towards climate change and
the consequent human rights issues that will become
the most pressing challenges facing humanity.
For example, the report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change presented to world leaders
just last week underscored the need for urgent action on
the issue of climate change. The report concludes that,
in the event of a business-as-usual scenario, low-lying
nations will face grave existential threats.
What does that mean for the Maldives? With 80 per
cent of our small nation barely 1.5 metres above sea level
and with more than 45 per cent of settlements within
100 metres of the coastline, all facets of our lifestyle,
culture and economy depend almost exclusively
on coastal and marine biodiversity. At present, our
biodiversity contributes to 70 per cent of our national
employment, 49 per cent of public revenue, 62 per cent
of foreign exchange, 98 per cent of exports and 89 per
cent of our gross domestic product. Any loss of that
biodiversity will result in catastrophic consequences
for the Maldives.
Those are facts, but we have known those facts for
a long time. What we need now is action. Our inaction
speaks louder than words.
As a nation, Maldives has witnessed the trials of
graduation from LDC status without due consideration
for the inherent vulnerabilities of small island nations.
Simply having a high gross national income or a high
standing in the human development index does not
make SIDS less vulnerable to external shocks, including
emerging threats such as climate change; nor does it
remove the difficulties associated with their smallness
and remoteness, and in achieving economies of scale.
The Maldives is a perfect example of a SIDS
graduating from LDC status based on distorted data
and geographically disassociated global aggregates and
indices. Even upon graduation, our country continues
to face numerous economic, social and climate-change
challenges. That must be a lesson to learn from as we
develop the post-2015 development agenda.
SIDS require differential treatment because of
their unique inherent vulnerabilities. That is why the
Maldives and other countries in the same plight have
been advocating relentlessly to find a comprehensive
definition for SIDS. SIDS need to be given full
recognition within the global governance regimes
and multilateral and financial institutions, and
adequately integrated and institutionalized within the
United Nations system. Doing so would help to target
assistance more effectively. That is also why we support
the inclusion of a SIDS-focused goal in the post-2015
development agenda.
All of the challenges I have outlined are key to
the Maldives. However, the most pressing challenge
to the Maldives remains democracy consolidation
and concerted efforts by external forces to prevent
the emergence of an indigenous democratic system of
governance in the Maldives.
A few weeks ago, the Maldives held its second
multiparty elections. It was one of the most competitive
elections in the country’s history, yet it did not produce
a clear winner. Some of the parties that competed in the
election have identified serious issues with the conduct
of the elections and have asked the Supreme Court of
the Maldives for a ruling. We are expecting the Court
to hand down a ruling in the coming days. The integrity
of the second round of our presidential election cannot
be maintained without ensuring the integrity of the
first round through constitutional means. We await
the Supreme Court’s verdict to continue the electoral
process, allowing for a new President to be sworn in on
November 11.
However, some external forces are attempting to
shape the outcome of what in effect is an internal issue.
The Maldives is small. Our democracy is in its infancy.
Our institutions are young. That does not, however,
mean that larger countries have a right to intervene and
attempt to dictate outcomes in the domestic affairs of
the Maldives.
Non-interference in the internal affairs of
sovereign States is a core principle of the Charter of
the Organization. Yet small States have frequently
been the victims of the predatory designs of larger
countries. It is for that reason that the Maldives
initiated resolution 44/51, on “Protection and security
of small States”, in the Assembly in 1989. The call for
protecting small States from external threats is further
reiterated in resolutions 46/43 and 49/31, recognizing
the particular vulnerabilities of small States to external
threats and acts of interference in their internal affairs.
The resolutions also call on all nations to respect
the principle of territorial integrity and national
sovereignty. Therefore, my delegation trusts the United
Nations to be the ultimate guarantor of the security of
small States such as the Maldives.
Democracy consolidation is not just about holding
elections. Nor is it about having a democratically sound
Constitution. In the Maldives, too, we quickly found
that changing the Constitution, or having a multiparty
election, did not instil democratic values within our
society.
For democracy to be cultivated and consolidated,
the supremacy of the Constitution must be upheld
above all. The institutional deficiencies we face must
be addressed within constitutional provisions, and
the political leadership must sustain an unshakeable
commitment to the principles and values of democracy.
The rule of law must prevail.
Our institutions are young. Therefore,
institution-building and reform remain a key challenge
for the Maldives. More importantly, cultivating a
culture of respect for human rights, tolerance, pluralism
and freedom remains incredibly important as we move
through the democratic journey.
Those are the reasons why the Maldives decided
to present its bid for re-election to the Human Rights
Council. Our membership in the Council over the
past three years has helped the country to take some
unprecedented and bold measures to bring the country’s
national human rights mechanisms up to international
standards. The Maldives believes that its continued
membership would help it to further accelerate ongoing
efforts in modernizing institutions and in promoting a
culture of respect for human rights and democracy in
Maldivian society.
Without democracy, the rule of law, human rights
and peace we would have nothing, we would achieve
nothing, and we would sustain nothing. In order to
tackle the many challenges confronting the Maldives,
we must adopt an inclusive form of governance where
the voices and opinions of even the most vulnerable
and the most disadvantaged in our society are heard.
Without equality and justice, societies cannot prosper
at all.
Democracy consolidation is a long and arduous
journey, but it is one worth making. Our pace may
not be as fast as the international community desires.
But the Maldives is in the process of solidifying
the foundations of our society for development, for
democracy and for the protection of human rights. But
that does not mean that we do not need the international
community’s assistance.
We know better than most that to be an emerging
democracy is to be constantly challenged by volatile,
new and emerging issues. There is no leeway to stumble,
no room to hesitate, and we will not falter in our resolve.
We will strengthen and redefine our institutions. We
will adhere to our Constitution. We will work with our
international partners, and we will move forward as a
nation and as a sustainable society.