In a historic address to the United Nations Security Council, President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu called for significant reforms to the Council's structure, calling for the abolition of the veto power held by its permanent members. This marks the first time a Maldivian President has addressed the Security Council in the 59 years since the country became a UN member.

President Dr Muizzu reminded the Council of the immense responsibility it holds in maintaining global peace and security, while also addressing the growing global mistrust in the system, due to its ineffectiveness and inaction. He added that the declining trust in the Security Council is due to the lack of equal representation, accountability and transparency. He proposed a new intergovernmental process with text-based negotiations to drive reform efforts forward. In this regard, he reiterated the Maldives call for a permanent rotating seat for SIDS.

Speaking on the ongoing conflicts, President Dr Muizzu emphasised on the "genocide unfolding under the nose of a Security Council unwilling to uphold international law." The President described the veto power as a barrier to effective decision-making, adding that the veto paralysed the Council from stopping Israel’s genocidal war in Palestine, allowed Israel to continue with impunity its brutal occupation, and enabled the massacre of innocent people.

Addressing these issues, the President proposed the establishment of a mechanism that allows for real-time, innovative solutions from the international community. President Dr Muizzu also shed light on the need to address the implications of non-traditional security threats, including the use of technology, urging the Council to be more flexible, and listen to the people it serves.

He concluded by reminding the Council of its foundational principles, stating that it was the member states of this Council who established a world order based on justice. That architecture is now disintegrating under the weight of bodies of civilians, aid workers, UN staff, and journalists, who represent the very essence of a civilised world. The President’s address highlighted the urgency of reforming the UN Security Council to ensure it can effectively respond to the global challenges of today.

The President delivered his remarks at the United Nations Security Council High-level Open Debate on ‘Leadership for Peace: United in Respect of the UN Charter, in Search of a Secure Future’ held today at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Source: https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/31726 

Speaking at the UNGA79 General Debate, President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu asserted the need for the rule of law and called for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.

The President stated that human rights violations by any country—regardless of its size or wealth—must not be tolerated. He described the situation in Gaza as a grave injustice and a failure of the international system.

President Dr Muizzu condemned that Israel's atrocities have resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of Palestinians, including men, women, children, and babies. He criticised the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and humanitarian infrastructure. He also highlighted that while the world is struggling to process the deaths of civilians in Gaza, now Israeli raids in Lebanon are claiming hundreds more civilian lives there.

President also stressed that Israel is targeting killings of journalists, including Palestinian, Lebanese, and Al-Jazeera journalists, as well as the closure of Al-Jazeera offices, as attempts to prevent the world from knowing about the crimes taking place in Gaza.

President called on Israel to be held accountable for the acts of terrorism, violations of international law & UN resolutions.

The President reiterated his call for recognizing a sovereign and independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/31706 

President His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu recognised the need for increased productivity and capacity building to achieve long-term, inclusive economic growth at the Maldives' side event, "Building Productive Capacities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)," at the UN.

Speaking at the event, the President acknowledged the Maldives' progress from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country, primarily due to the growth of the tourism sector. He further highlighted the challenges to overcoming the middle-income trap. To address this, President Muizzu called upon the international community to assist SIDS in diversifying their economies and expanding their productive capacity frameworks.

In his statement, the President proposed three key strategies to achieve the Ten-Year Programme of Action outlined in the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAs).

These strategies include:

• Technological Advancement: The President reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to facilitating access to global payment gateways, ensuring that the country is fully integrated into the global market.
• Resilient Infrastructure: The President revealed the Maldives' initiatives to upgrade infrastructure across key sectors, including transportation, energy, and digital connectivity, in order to access global supply chains and attract new investments.
• Evidence-Based Policy: This includes the Productive Capacities Index developed by UNCTAD. The President urged development partners to provide financial support for tools that help make informed policy decisions and drive economic change. He also invited UNCTAD and other relevant UN agencies to collaborate with the Maldives to identify country-specific policy interventions to boost productivity.

President Dr Muizzu concluded his keynote address by inviting panellists to recommend actionable steps for improving productive capacities and fostering innovation.

This side event was co-hosted by the Maldives, in collaboration with St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Source: https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/31666