Ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Saleem has participated in the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Archipelagic Island States (AIS) Forum.

Joining the ministerial meeting of the AIS Forum on Tuesday, Ambassador Saleem reiterated commitment by the Maldives to work together to address shared challenges of archipelagic and island states, including the conservation and protection of the ocean.

Taking the podium at the event, Ambassador Saleem shed light on the significance of vast ocean resources for the Archipelagic Island States, such as the Maldives, and the significance of preventing ocean pollution.

Noting that since the fisheries industry accounts for a large percentage of the national GDP, stressors to the environment have direct and indirect impacts on the important economic sectors and the overall development of the economy, he stated that the outcomes of the recently concluded COP27 has given hope to any archipelagic and island states, with the establishment of the “loss and damage” fund.

He went on to stress on the significance of joint efforts to change economic systems and lifestyles to more sustainable ones, prioritizing adaptation, utilizing the innovative minds and latest technological advances.

A platform that brings together 47 archipelagic and island states, the AIS Forum allows participants to take part in a collective forum addressing challenges of ocean resource usage for sustainable economic growth, climate change resiliency, ocean pollution, emergency management as well as the enhancement of sustainable fisheries.

Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Thahseen accompanied Ambassador Saleem at the meeting, hosted by the government of Indonesia alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the development partner.