Maldives has been elected as Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

This was revealed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via a publication issued on Tuesday.

As such, the Maldives was elected as Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth International Conference on SIDS alongside New Zealand, during the organizational session of the Preparatory Committee held in New York, U.S.

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations, Thilmeeza Hussain will represent Maldives.

The Fourth International Conference on SIDS is slated to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2024.

The Preparatory Committee will be overseeing organizational, procedural, and substantive preparations.

In a Twitter post, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid expressed delight in the appointment and asserted that the Maldives will always fight for SIDS. He added that the government will work within the committee and with the wider international community towards the long-term sustainable development of SIDS.

The government has pledged to work towards strengthening cooperation between SIDS and the international community.

Maldives will be working with the preparatory committee and the wider global community in a bid to recognize priorities for the sustainable development of SIDS.

The government went on to express confidence in its ability to deliver for all SIDS.

The Fourth International Conference on SIDS will bring together world leaders to agree on a bold new programme of action for SIDS. It will assist in determining the final implementation gaps and challenges for the SAMOA Pathway, Mauritius Strategy, and Barbados Programme of Action, including a review of the SIDS Partnership Framework.

The programme of action will serve as a beacon for SIDS, towards sustainable development, including the accomplishment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.