Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein has been appointed advisor to the Maldives delegation attending the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Following his appointment, the Maldivian president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih held a meeting where discussions revolved around challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) presently in addressing the climate catastrophe.

The pair engaged in discussions regarding accessing financing being one of the major challenges faced by SIDS like the Maldives, which are in “dire” need of an extra aid for building resilience and adapting to climate change.

The island nation’s focus at COP26 was also discussed during the meeting, which saw President Solih extending his heartfelt gratitude to the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for his assistance to the Maldives during his term as well as for the new partnership that has just begun. President Solih went on to express hope that the new partnership will add “great value” to the efforts with his vast experience in the global community.

Shedding the spotlight on the importance of COP26 for the Maldives, Solih noted that Maldives is a low-lying island nation where the effects of climate change are evident with which it is a critical issue for the island nation.

The meeting also saw Prince Zeid expressing keen interest to support Maldives and stating that he was privileged to join the Maldives delegation.

Prince Zeid, who began his career as UN peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia, served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2018 after an extended career as a Jordanian diplomat, including as his country’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 2000 – 2007 and 2010 – 2014 as well as Ambassador to the United States from 2007 – 2010. Other positions he filled include in the UN Security Council and in the UN Peace-Building Commission, as the configuration chair.

He is currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Peace Institute (IPI).