The Maldives has called for an immediate halt to Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands during the 2026 Conference on the Question of Jerusalem, held jointly by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The conference was held under the theme, "Jerusalem: The Frontline of Displacement and Annexation and the Key to Just and Lasting Peace." The Maldives was represented by Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to the OIC, Ahmed Sareer.
Addressing the conference, the Maldives highlighted the plight of the Palestinian people caused by Israel and called for an immediate end to all attempts by Israel to occupy Palestinian lands, describing them as violations of international law and decisions of the International Court of Justice.
The Maldives also called for the rights of the Palestinian people to be restored and protected, and urged strong and sufficient funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), recognising its critical, life-saving work.
The delegation further stressed that the legal status and historical and religious significance of the holy sites in Jerusalem could be protected through an end to the Israeli occupation and broader recognition of the Palestinian people's right to live in a sovereign and independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The CEIRPP was established in 1975 through United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3376 to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Maldives also participated in the 2025 Conference on the Question of Jerusalem, organised by the CEIRPP in cooperation with the OIC in Senegal, as part of its continued advocacy on behalf of the Palestinian people and in its capacity as a member of the OIC.