Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has called to address the deep-lying inequalities that affect the most vulnerable groups within the society.
The foreign minister made the remarks in his address at the launch of the “2020 Human Development Report” published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The launch was held in a virtual event organised by the UNDP Office in Maldives.
In his remarks, Minister Shahid praised the work done by UNDP in publishing the Human Development Report annually, since 1990. He highlighted the challenges which are now exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and underlined the deepening of inequalities among vulnerable groups within the society. He then called to address these acute inequalities that exist among the most vulnerable groups within the society.
Furthermore, Minister Shahid reiterated the commitments made by the Government of Maldives in combating the profound environmental challenges faced by countries such as the Maldives – commitments made at the Paris Agreement, SAMOA Pathway and the recent Action Blueprint under the Feminist Action for Climate Justice. Additionally, the minister called for multilateral collaboration and solidarity and the need for urgent substantive action in combating climate change. He also acknowledged the extensive support provided by the UN Country Team to overcome the COVID-19 challenges, and highlighted UNDP’s lead role in the “UN socio-economic recovery framework in the Maldives”.
The 2020 Human Development Report, “The Next Frontier: Human Development and Anthropocene” looks at how humanity can navigate this new age, while unpacking the relationships between people and the planet, in pursuing prosperity. This report critically analyzes the global development efforts by putting people at the center of development. According to this latest report, the Maldives has made significant accomplishments in moving from 104th position to 95th position in the global Human Development Index.