Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam has called for stronger international partnerships and greater access to affordable, predictable, long-term financing to strengthen the resilience and sustainable development of small states.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, Minister Iruthisham stressed that climate commitments must be matched by the necessary financial and technical support to ensure their implementation.
The Minister co-chaired the meeting alongside Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, E.P. Chet Greene, under the theme “Scaling up Partnerships and Investment for Resilient Small States”, ahead of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
In her remarks, Minister Iruthisham called for stronger advocacy mechanisms, including through building on existing frameworks such as the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS). She also emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation with international financial institutions, development partners and the private sector to increase investment in climate resilience, energy transition, trade, debt sustainability and digital transformation.
She further highlighted the need to expand successful national initiatives, strengthen technical assistance and retain expertise to ensure lasting development outcomes across small states.
Reaffirming the principles of the Maldives First Foreign Policy, Minister Iruthisham said international partnerships should be grounded in respect for national sovereignty and priorities. She added that Commonwealth cooperation should be guided by clear objectives, measurable progress and shared responsibility.
The Minister also stressed the importance of ensuring adequate representation for small states in international decision-making, highlighting the Maldives' candidatures for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2028–2030 term and the United Nations Security Council for the 2033–2034 term.
The meeting brought together Commonwealth member states to discuss common challenges and strengthen cooperation towards building resilient and sustainable small states.
As co-chairs, Iruthisham and Greene delivered the opening and closing remarks. The meeting also heard a special address by Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and remarks by Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey.