K. Male'
|
23 Sep 2021 | Thu 16:09
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
president office
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
“Our common vision and unity ensure that as AOSIS we are loud and a powerful force for change”
Solih noted that all AOSIS members have a “long and deep” track record of commitment to address climate change and sustainable development.
The president stressed that travel bans across several countries had cripple the country’s economy “beyond measure"
Maldives experienced an economic contraction of a third of economic activity during 2020 alone
f

While member states of the Small Island States (AOSIS) may be small countries scattered around the globe, the common vision and unity shared within these countries ensure that as AOSIS, “we are loud and a powerful force for change”, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Speaking at the AOSIS Leaders' Summit 2021 on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, the Maldivian president noted that all AOSIS members have a “long and deep” track record of commitment to address climate change and sustainable development.

Together, we must continue to urge the world to address the numerous and unique challenges faced by Small Island Developing States. We are distinctively vulnerable to the powerful impacts of the climate crisis, and given our small size, at a scale that few other countries face.”
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Maldives.

Highlighting that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has brought the extreme vulnerability of SIDS to external shocks, to the spotlight, the president noted that it has “crippled” our economies.

However, the long-drawn-out ban of global travel had brought “truly unprecedented” challenges.

He noted that travel bans across several countries had cripple the country’s economy “beyond measure”, with Maldives economy being strongly reliant on natural resources.

As such, during 2020, Maldives experienced an economic contraction of a third of economic activity.

The notion that special consideration must be given to SIDS, through financial assistance, technology transfer and capacity-building, is a long-established principle in multilateralism. These funds are usually extremely difficult to access, and the application process alone is drawn out and complex, particularly given the size and nature of projects in small islands. Funds established to assist countries in special situations like the SIDS need to be adequate, predictable and accessible.”
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Maldives.

Further, Solih shed light on the Ocean Conference presenting a key opportunity for AOSIS to build momentum leading up to the conference, on issues such as marine plastic pollution, overfishing, biodiversity loss as well as coral bleaching.

Expressing full support for the efforts underway to manage coordinate multilateral action to address the menace of marine plastic pollution, including through an international treaty, President Solih expressed confidence that the Leader’s Declaration will “once again” demonstrate the AOSIS members’ unity and seriousness on these issues, to the international community.

I am confident that the Leader’s Declaration that we are adopting today will once again demonstrate to the international community our solidarity, our seriousness on these issues and the need for actors beyond those in this room – developed countries, International Financial Institutions, the private sector and civil society – to work with us to take decisive and transformational action on these issues that are of paramount concern to us all.”
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Maldives.
- comment