United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Maldives Catherine Haswell has reiterated the commitment to collaborating with the government to strengthen the country’s social sector. She made the remarks during a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem, during which they held discussions on strengthening social sector services in the Maldives.
At the meeting held at the President's Office, Vice President Naseem and Resident Coordinator Haswell discussed matters of common interest, such as concerns over the growing mental health challenges in the Maldives following the COVID-19 pandemic and how to better support people with special needs. Other discussion topics included the country’s economic activities, tourism, climate change, women's empowerment, and gender equality.
During the discussions, Resident Coordinator Haswell reiterated the commitment to collaborating with the government to strengthen the country’s social sector, touching on the importance of building resilient communities to better prepare for crisis and improve management and coordination among all the stakeholders.
Additionally, Vice President Naseem expressed deep gratitude to the UN Agencies for their support for the country’s socio-economic development, climate change, human rights, and democracy, highlighting the generous aid and societal support provided to the Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic. He concluded the call after assuring the UN of the commitment to work diligently with its agencies on core issues of mutual importance.