President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has held discussions to strengthen the partnership between the Maldives and the United Nations (UN). He held discussions with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on ways to improve collaboration. They held the discussions during the meeting that took place at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha, Qatar.
At the meeting, President Solih and Secretary-General Guterres had lengthy talks about the involvement of the UN in assisting the growth of the Maldives through its different aid organisations working in the country. The president emphasised that the UN continues to be an instrumental partner in the trajectory of the Maldives to increased growth over the years. He added that the UN plays an essential role in assisting key government agencies to improve their abilities to deliver the objective of the Maldives in accordance with Agenda 30.
Furthermore, President Solih and Secretary-General Guterres discussed ways to improve collaboration between relevant UN organisations and public sector groups in order to better serve the people, including looking into investments to close existing infrastructure gaps in order to boost tourism, increase resilience to climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also discussed exploring other sustainable trade and fisheries avenues to reduce over-dependency in one economic sector.
Speaking at the meeting, Secretary-General Guterres recalled fond memories of working closely with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid during his tenure as President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), describing it as a remarkable presidency, and stating that the Maldives embody everything the UN stands for.
Concluding the meeting, President Solih praised Secretary-General Guterres for his decision to convene a Climate Ambition Summit alongside the 2023 SDG Summit and voiced confidence in establishing the loss and damage fund as agreed at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27). He also commended the excellent leadership and commitment to combating climate change. He then reaffirmed the dedication of the Maldives to preserving the spirit of multilateralism and working closely with the UN.