Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has concluded his official visit to New York following productive engagements during the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Throughout the visit, the Vice President advanced the Maldives’ strategic priorities, highlighting the country’s commitment to equitable global governance, climate resilience and the sovereignty of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Delivering the Maldives’ national statement during the General Debate, the Vice President emphasised every state’s fundamental right to determine its own future. He highlighted evolving security challenges facing small states and linked the country’s development aspirations to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s vision of achieving developed-country status for the Maldives by 2040.
The Vice President also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He advocated comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including a rotating Security Council seat for SIDS.
Addressing the threat posed by climate change at the High-Level Plenary Meeting on Sea-Level Rise, the Vice President said the Maldives’ response to rising seas is resilience rather than retreat. He called for increased grant-based adaptation finance and stressed that sea-level rise must not affect legally recognised maritime baselines or the Maldives’ statehood under international law.
During the visit, the Vice President also held discussions with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and addressed the China-hosted High-Level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative.
Through these engagements, the Vice President highlighted the Maldives’ diplomatic and development priorities at the United Nations.