YouSaid · the spoken record

Mohamed Asim

lines on the record: 41
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We stand tall and proud because we believe that we have much to offer: fresh perspectives, fresh ideas and new concepts that would bring renewed dynamism and new approaches to the United Nations. The Maldives deserves an equal chance to serve on that international organ. We are dedicated to the cause of peace in a sustainable world, and we are determined to leave a mark and make a difference. The triumph of multilateralism, the pinnacle of our common vision, lies in our collective approach to solving the global challenges of our time. The Maldives stands ready to take that leap of faith, providing shared solutions for our shared, common destiny.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is our firm belief in the power of multilateralism — the same faith that propelled us 52 years ago to seek membership of the United Nations, the very first foreign-policy decision of the independent Maldives — that pushes us to be effective members of the international community. It is because we have never served before; it is because of the promise of equality of representation and our conviction that every nation, large or small, should have a voice and can make a difference; and it is because of our firm conviction that size does not determine destiny or value that, for the first time in our 52 years of membership of the United Nations, we are seeking a seat on the Security Council for the 2019-2020 term.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Throughout our membership over the past five decades, we have worked with a vision of a United Nations that protects people, providing them with a safe haven and access to their rights; a United Nations that preserves our planet, prioritizing the needs of our present generation without compromising those of the future; a United Nations that promotes peace, a world free from fear and full of bright tomorrows and an abundance of hope. We have focused on providing meaningful, pragmatic and real solutions, based on sound national experience, for our common shared destiny. It is because we have a meaningful vision to promote that we continue to make every effort for the common cause of humankind.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As the international community, we must strive to do our very best for them and the many others throughout the world who are suffering from disasters, and focus on cultivating resilience through better rebuilding. Climate change, sustainable development, and the protection of our ocean are not trends or ephemeral infatuations. Inaction will cost us our progress, prosperity, the lives of our people and the future of all our nations. This is not the time to question what we already know. This is not the time to turn inwards or look the other way. There is no time to waste. It is time to act. Two days ago, we celebrated 52 proud years as a Member of the United Nations.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Accordingly, an entire atoll is recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve, while many other marine resources and areas are protected and preserved. In fact, there are many more uninhabited islands with marine protected areas than populated islands in the Maldives. That is why the total ban on the exploitation of ecologically significant marine creatures — such as turtles, whales, dolphins, rays, and whale sharks — is strictly enforced. At the same time, Maldivians are some of the most prolific consumers of fish and marine products, thereby demonstrating to the world that the sustainable use of marine resources is indeed possible. We must not forget those who suffer the consequences of natural disasters. We are witnessing the total destruction and loss of life resulting from the earthquake in Mexico.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The ocean defines who the Maldivians are — traditional seafarers and members of fishing communities who rely on the produce that the ocean offers them. We therefore welcomed and actively participated in the first United Nations Oceans Conference, held earlier this year, and despite the hardships, we have preserved our traditional method of pole-and-line fishing, which is the best regarded, cleanest, greenest and most sustainable method of fishing, as it is predicated on catching fish individually with practically no by-catch. Since 2010, our entire exclusive economic zone, which comprises nearly 1 million square kilometres, has been declared a shark sanctuary. As the current Chair of the Save Our Sharks Coalition, we call on other countries to adopt that measure.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have lent our voice and shared our experience. We have requested support to make our economy and our country more resilient to the shocks and impacts caused by climate change. Taking care of our ocean is intimately linked to taking meaningful action on climate change. The Maldives and other island nations are custodians of large expanses of ocean. Yet every person in this Hall, every community which they represent and every country they come from benefits from our oceans and depends on the health and wealth of our oceans and seas. Every other breath we take comes from the ocean. In the Maldives, the ocean is the backbone and the artery of its two main economic sectors: fishing and tourism.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We need constructive engagement, leadership — such as we are seeing from China, Brazil, India, Canada, France, Germany and countless others — and a certain degree of openness to change on the part of all countries, including developing and developed ones. At home, we are investing in renewable energy through the transition to a low-carbon economy. As the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, and in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Maldives launched the initiative for renewable island energy, which will facilitate support for small island States in their transition to renewable energy and in achieving energy efficiency. We are looking at innovative approaches to fulfil the development needs of our people that do not compromise the needs of our planet.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Island nations, including the Maldives, are the first to be devastated by such impacts, but we are not the only ones. Today, climate change is becoming a reality for the rest of the world whether or not we choose to believe it. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere sympathies to those who were recently affected by Hurricanes José, Irma and Maria. I assure them that we will not stop our advocacy with regard to the effects of climate change. We have proposed many solutions. The full implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is our priority. The reduction of harmful emissions, transitioning to renewable sources of energy and investing in mitigation and adaptation are all crucial. We need to join together in meaningful and durable partnerships to find sustainable solutions.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We helped establish the Alliance of Small Island States — one of the most influential groups with regard to climate change and sustainable development — which we have chaired since 2015. In 2008, the Maldives introduced the first United Nations resolution on human rights and climate change (Human Rights Council resolution 7/23), which was the first time that a United Nations document acknowledged that link. Today, the threat of climate change is very real. Unpredictable weather, more frequent and intense natural disasters and unprecedented temperatures are the norm rather than the exception. The unprecedented frequency and the intensity of the recent hurricanes that struck the Caribbean, the United States and the Pacific islands last year are all powerful signs that our planet has changed significantly.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We worked hard to establish the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment — a major global milestone. The world must be made a happier place to live in, and that can be achieved only through our collective will to approach our shared problems with concrete solutions. There is no greater global threat than that posed by climate change. In 1987, when the Maldives first spoke about sea-level rise, the science was still new and the threat relatively unknown. We persisted in our advocacy because we believed that the threat of climate change deserved and, indeed, warranted global attention. The Maldives hosted the first Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise in 1989.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is why we believe that focusing on those who have no voice and are not usually represented and ensuring that their voices are heard should be the international community’s collective focus, as it was ours during the six years we served on the Human Rights Council. Accordingly, while on the Council, we established the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to Support the Participation of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States in the work of the Human Rights Council. Those two groups of countries are acutely underrepresented in Geneva. Our priority therefore was women, children and the disabled, and we initiated discussion on the link between climate change and its consequences on human rights.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Yet it has become increasingly difficult for middle-income countries like the Maldives to access concessional financing for development projects, thereby leaving them no other choice than to accept commercial interest rates and further increase their debt burdens. That will undoubtedly make the transition from the middle-income category to higher levels of development all the more challenging. Our successes at home provide the basis for our solutions to the global problems that are facing our world. Our focus globally has been to ensure that we pay attention to the most vulnerable.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We are focused on creating an enabling environment in which they will thrive and shine, including through the promotion of unity, cultural values, national identity and national spirit through programmes such as Tharika, launched earlier this year. The Maldives is a middle-income country, but like every country we want to achieve higher growth and even greater development. If that is to happen, large-scale investment is necessary. Investments are a means to support not only our economic development but also our social development. Large-scale projects will help to provide economies of scale and facilitate the expansion of key sectors of the economy, as well as create jobs and opportunities for our youth so that their creativity can be unleashed.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Considerable progress has been made with several housing units built and awarded under public-housing schemes, despite the scarcity of land and the remoteness of islands. Achieving near-universal literacy and universal enrolment in schools has not stopped us. We are investing continually in improving the quality of our schools, our teachers, our curriculum and our approaches so as to ensure that no child is left behind. We are also investing in our young people — the future of our nation. Caring for the physical, mental and social well-being of our young people — the largest portion of our population — is a cornerstone of the Government’s policy.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Our elderly population is getting the compassion and financial support we owe it, through well-targeted policies. Universal health care has been realized across the country, in all 188 islands. Easy access to a medical doctor, sea ambulances and a pharmacy on every island are ensured. The Maldives spends more than 9 per cent of its gross domestic product on health-related expenses, which is the highest in the region of South-East Asia. It is an investment that has propelled us on our development path. Lymphatic filaria, measles, malaria and polio are all diseases that have been eradicated in the Maldives. Access to safe, habitable and affordable housing is recognized as a human right in the Constitution.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Sustained and targeted investment is our policy. Looking to cultivate a culture of respect for human rights, at home and abroad, is our goal. We believe that we have been successful. The Gender Equality Act has guaranteed in law what Maldivians have been practicing for decades — equality for women at home, at work, in decision-making and in our society. Policies aimed at increasing the representation of women in leadership positions are showing results. Laws, policies and regulations have created a framework in which every man, every woman, every Maldivian can be a champion for gender equality. We need to do more, as all countries do, but we are proud of our considerable progress. People with disabilities are supported through financial and material support.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The fact that they kill more Muslims — the very people they allegedly fight to protect — proves their twisted reasoning. Such terrorism and such extremism must end. In North Korea, the most recent tests of ballistic missiles, and with them the real threat of nuclear weapons and war, have alarmed us all. They are a clear violation of international law and an unnecessary act of provocation. There is every possibility now that they could lead us down the path of destruction. We condemn those actions and urge North Korea to return to dialogue, let multilateralism take its course and choose peace over war. These blatant attempts at aggression must end. The world must become a more hopeful place for all — a place where people enjoy decent and meaningful lives. Adopting a proactive and constructive stand is our approach.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The Maldives is working with its bilateral and international partners, studying best practices and forging common consensuses. We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General in achieving greater global coordination in the fight against terrorism. The establishment of the new United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, we hope, will inject more energy into the implementation of the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. The Secretary-General will have our full support. We must all do more. Today, we are in the midst of a war like no other. Our enemies have no single face, no single identity, no single country and no single strategy. The only things they have in common are their brutal methods and misplaced ideology.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“When that happens, it is easy to ignore grave violations; it is easier to even encourage them. It is then, and only then, that we see, as we have seen, the worst of humankind. We cannot allow another wave of genocide to recur — not on our watch. Chaos, vacuum and uncertainty have given the opportunity for Da’esh to start its own brand of terror, its own version of religion and its own brutal methods of fear. Combating terrorism and fighting violent extremism and radicalization are national priorities. We have enacted national legislation and formulated a comprehensive national policy in our fight against violent extremism. Last year, we also established a national centre for counter-terrorism. It is a top priority for the Maldives.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Incidents of hatred, Islamaphobia and xenophobia, which have become so frequent today, can only breed more violence, intolerance and hatred. Our policies of fences, force and fear must end. In Myanmar, the situation of Rohingya Muslims, who are some of the most persecuted people in the world, presents another tragic case. Systemic violence, including massacres, the torching of homes, forced displacement and forced migration, are acts of ethnic cleansing that are alarming, to say the least. Those responsible for such barbaric actions must be brought to justice swiftly. Those acts of prejudice, violence and discrimination against Rohingya Muslims must end. Instilling fear of the other is easy. Determining others to be worthless owing to their religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, Islamaphobia or any other reason is a short step away.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Violence, economic deprivation, fear, hunger and hopelessness — these are what a child in Palestine is born into. Generations have now matured knowing nothing else. That must end. In Syria, more than a quarter of a million people have lost their lives, with many millions displaced and many more millions made refugees. War crimes have been committed, chemical weapons used and inhumane treatment normalized. That suffering must end. As hundreds of innocent people continue to flee violence, conflict and endless suffering — in their greatest numbers since the world wars — it has become imperative that we seek sustainable, long-term solutions that address the well-being and welfare of migrants and refugees.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The world must become a safer planet for all. No man, no woman and certainly no child should suffer due to conflict, yet we know that this is not the case. Far too many people are dying in conflicts across the world. Far too many mothers are living in fear, unsure of the fate of their children, and far too many children are seeing their futures crumble in front of them. In Palestine, another year ends without permanent peace or permanent hope. An independent, sovereign State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, established along the 1967 borders, is the only solution and the only way. Yet, many resolutions have been adopted without action and many peace processes have been abandoned without progress. The shameful occupation by Israel continues, without any consequences.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is made up of us, the Member States, and its successes and its weaknesses are determined by how much we put into it. My country, the Maldives, envisions a United Nations that is fair and representative of its diverse membership, that takes into account the views and opinions of all, and that forms consensus based on compromise and dialogue. We envision a United Nations that commits and delivers. Our vision for a stronger United Nations is founded on President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s policy of strengthening national resilience — economic resilience, social resilience, political resilience and, indeed, environmental resilience. It is based on crafting meaningful global solutions, built on national policies and experiences, to the common problems of our times and for our common and shared destiny.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is a place where every issue can be debated for a solution and where every nation has a voice, regardless of its size or might. That is why we believe that the theme for this session of the General Assembly — “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet” — is most appropriate. This is what makes up the core of the Organization and what defines our work. Please allow me to congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his assumption of the role of President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. I also welcome the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, to his first general debate and commend him for the dedication he has demonstrated throughout his first year in office. The United Nations is what we all make of it.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We stand today at a crossroads between old wars and new conflicts; between what we know and what we fear; between the needs of a changing planet and the demands of a growing population. We remain caught between human ambition and human limitations. In these times of change, we must turn once again to the principles that define the Organization — those that make us who we are and who we would like to become. Rising from the darkness of war, the United Nations shone like a beacon of light. Dedicated to seeking peace, the Organization became the purpose for many of those fighting for freedom, fighting fear and fighting for the right to be. The United Nations was and is the best hope we have for humankind. The United Nations was built on the promise of peace and salvation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is because we believe that the opportunity should be available to all and because we believe that we can serve. We believe that intent, resolve, fairness and the principle of representation must decide such opportunities. In an ever-changing world, that which defines success for countries is the ability to adapt according to changing needs. The resilience of countries, continued investment and continuous will to work are critical. As a small island State, we face myriad challenges and vulnerabilities. But today we ask Members to value us because of our abilities, not our vulnerabilities. Evaluate our progress relatively, not against inapt benchmarks. We may be small, but we surely can be significant.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Yet there is a recurring concern that we hear — a concern that we ourselves have voiced — namely, the need to increase representation in the main bodies of the United Nations. Small States such as the Maldives are often underrepresented, because our delegations are small and our capabilities are stretched. Every Member of the Organization must have an opportunity to serve and have an equal chance to be part of every body, especially the Security Council, in order to help make decisions that affect us all. We do not believe that might or size should determine destiny. Our ability, our motivation, our will to work and our ideas are more appropriate criteria. For the first time since it joined the Organization, 51 years ago, the Maldives has boldly put forward its candidature to the Security Council for the 2019-2020 term.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We live in a world marred by extreme acts carried out in the name of religion and extremist beliefs, which instil fear in others. That is our reality. The Maldives condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We reject radicalism. We especially denounce all acts of violence carried out in the name of Islam, for they are not only un-Islamic but anti-Islamic. We have passed legislation to address foreign terrorist fighters. We have established the National Counter-Terrorism Centre. And next month, we will also host an international seminar on counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization. The United Nations is still the best-placed Organization to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The knowledge, practices and power of convening that the United Nations draws on are unmatched.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Guaranteeing Palestinians the right to self- determination and sovereignty over their own land and natural resources is the only way out of the conflict. A military solution is never the answer. Look at the condition of Syria. Thousands of innocent children, men and women have lost their lives to the conflict. Hundreds more are fleeing for their lives, only to be turned away by the politics of fear. Fences and wires do not stop violence; compassion and tolerance do. The rising tide of hatred, Islamophobia and xenophobia in the name of security will lead only to more violence, as more people feel more marginalized and more people find more reasons for hatred. And radical elements of society find much to feed on in poverty, misery and victimization.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“However, the Maldives will remain engaged with the international community. Today we have accepted that economic advancement goes hand in hand with social development and environmental protection. I hope that we have all accepted the fact that development needs to be holistic and that problems and solutions have interlinked consequences. The massive shift seen in provisions of the 2030 Agenda reflects precisely that reality, that all issues are interlinked. It is in that vein that we have accepted that there can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development. And nowhere is that more apparent than in Palestine. Cycles of violence and hatred perpetuated by the occupying Power, Israel, have led nowhere. A two-State solution that offers peace, stability and security is the only solution.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Above all, investment in our institutions is of the utmost importance. In order to implement ambitious agendas, our institutions and governance structures need to be sufficient and capable of delivering the results we want. The Maldives has been arguing for some time now that, unless small States are able to build strong institutions, they will not be able to build resilience in the spheres of economy and climate change. We began the process of democratization only a decade ago. Informed by events and based on lessons learned, our institutions are adapting and changing. Institutions need space to form on their own. They need to develop organically and to evolve with the needs and priorities of our society. While a healthy amount of scrutiny is necessary and welcome, institutions cannot build resilience under a constant microscope.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“While we continue to be alarmed by the realities of climate change, another crisis looms. That is the state of our oceans. As a large-ocean State, our major economic activities depend on the health and wealth of the oceans. We are concerned about them. As in many situations, the issue at hand is one that needs a collective response. One such opportunity is the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, on the sustainable use of the oceans, which is to be held in June 2017. It will provide an opportunity for the international community to come together with renewed hope to find solutions that can get the results we desire. An overarching and cross-cutting theme across all the agendas is investment — investing in our people, investing in our economies and investing in our environment.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“For decades, we have been advocating urgent action on climate change and asking the world to take notice. As a lone voice in a sea of sceptics, we were not necessarily heard. But today, together with the 43 members of the Alliance of Small Island States, we can can have a greater impact. With 13 other SIDS, we, the Maldives, were among the first ratifiers of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We know that our emissions are almost negligible. But we want the international community to know that, small though we may be, we are making the choice to take action, and to take action now. We want the international community to continue to invest in action to prevent climate change and in forging meaningful partnerships. Investing today is saving tomorrow.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The fact that we have graduated from least-developed- country status does not mean that we have overcome our challenges. Large-scale infrastructure — ports, airports, hospitals, harbours — is still required across the entire Maldives. Yet the large-scale financing needed for those projects is not readily available because the preferential and concessional arrangements for financing were lost after we graduated from least- developed-country status. Those limitations make it harder to maintain and sustain the development gains that enabled us to graduate in the first place. The Maldives is one of the countries that is most vulnerable to environmental shocks and one of the most exposed to the impacts of climate change. Climate change is an existential threat to our country. It has the potential to erode decades of development gains.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Maldives is a small island developing State — a status that we cannot graduate from. Our islands are uniquely susceptible to economic, environmental and institutional shocks because we are so dependent on the rest of the world. Measures of development that are used to rank countries continue to ignore that reality. Development status continues to be determined on the basis of gross domestic product per capita. That system disadvantages smaller countries with small populations. To escape the “island paradox,” we need the international community to re-evaluate how development is assessed. There needs to be a concerted effort to integrate the economic vulnerability of countries into such assessments. Without such a re-evaluation, our approach to development will never be holistic.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“They have always had equal pay and equal rights, which is now enshrined in our Constitution. Today a woman in the Maldives can also go to a court of law and use the newly adopted Gender Equality Act to claim those rights. They can challenge cases involving gender inequality, sexual harassment and sexual abuse with specifically defined laws to back them up. We still have a long way to go — every country does — but we believe that we are on the right track to making institutional and structural changes that will bring about lasting and sustainable normative change. A much-celebrated feature of the 2030 Agenda is its universality. The Goals and targets apply to all nations; they have been adopted by everyone. Yet embedded in those common responsibilities is the reality of special circumstances.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is also why we have chosen to focus on youth — improving their lives, their livelihood opportunities and their aspirations. Investing in our people will put us on the right path. No investment has higher returns than investments in women and girls. Empowering women and girls to make their own choices and to determine the destiny of their choosing is not only the moral, responsible and correct choice to make; it is the smart decision to make. Women constitute half of our population. They can, 20/34 16-29817 and should, contribute to our economy; they can, and should, contribute to our society. Women in the Maldives have had the right to vote since our first Constitution, in 1932. Women in the Maldives have always been in our offices, in our politics and in our society.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why we have made it our aim to deliver easily accessible health care to every citizen — a feat that is extremely challenging for a population of 338,000 people dispersed over 188 islands. It is why we have ensured free health care, provided sea ambulances on all 20 atolls and established a pharmacy on every inhabited island. It is why we have not stopped investing in education, despite achieving nearly 100 per cent literacy. Rather, we have continued to invest in teacher quality, while continuously improving and updating our curriculums and our approach. It is why we aim to provide affordable social housing, especially to all vulnerable groups of our society. In that connection, we aim to empower people with disabilities through financial and material support, such as the provision of housing for those with disabilities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is an Agenda of hope, a blueprint for advancing humankind, a plan for empowering the impoverished and a promise to future generations. The Agenda recognizes at its core that all efforts to achieve development should be holistic and that poverty is multidimensional. It recognizes that differentiated responses are necessary, even if aspirations are universal. It recognizes that development efforts should include everyone and address everyone. President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s development efforts aim to empower everyone so that all of society can share in the development dividends. We have reached our current situation through sustained, continuous, and targeted investment in health and education. We find that the best way to sustain our developmental gains is to focus on our people.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I wish to begin by congratulating the President on his assumption of office. The Maldives is proud to welcome a distinguished diplomat from a fellow island State to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I also wish to congratulate Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for all of his hard work over the past 10 years, and especially for his efforts on climate-change advocacy and sustainable development and his partnership with small island developing States (SIDS). He is certainly leaving a legacy of enormous historical significance. Rarely do we get an opportunity to come together — the whole world — for a moment of collective agreement. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was such a moment.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)