The Maldives has said it will suffer a major loss in income due to the global shutdown of tourism resulting in a huge revenue gap for the year 2020.
Speaking at the Online Summit level Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid elaborated on the devastating effects of COVID-19 has had on the Maldivian economy. Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including the Maldives, are inherently vulnerable to external shocks and often rely on a single industry for national income., according to the minister.
Foreign Minister Shahid called on the NAM to draw international attention towards the vulnerabilities of its smaller members, particularly by highlighting the need for a moratorium on debt which is detrimental to achieving sustainable development. The minister reaffirmed smaller members of NAM rely on the movement to mobilise support and call for long-term action from larger states. Highlighting the importance of strengthened cooperation during times of adversity, he expressed gratitude towards development partners of the Maldives, especially those from the South Asia region, for their support in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Shahid also pledged support for the decision to establish the NAM Task Force to combat COVID-19, a key outcome of the summit. The NAM Task Force will act as a conduit for member states to submit their basic humanitarian and medical needs which will then be shared with donor countries, international organisations and private entities to mobilise support and assistance. he further pledged extended support for the World Health Organization (WHO) in leading the global public health response, as well as other international and regional organisations. He emphasised the world will prevail only by working together in cooperation with all partners and stakeholders and called for a unified response to the pandemic.
The online summit was convened under the chairmanship of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and held under the theme United against COVID-19. It brought together heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs and other senior officials from member states, observer states, and observer organisations of NAM to assess the impact of COVID-19, identify the needs of member states, and prescribe possible remedies and action-oriented follow-up measures. The summit also promoted the values of multilateralism in ensuring concerted and adequate responses to the challenges posed by the current health and economic crisis.
NAM comprises of 120 member states, and is one of the largest international organisations after the United Nations (UN). The Maldives joined NAM on August 15, 1976, and has been an active member of the organisation.