Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has stated that climate change is the "most precarious" challenge facing the Maldives.
The minister made the statement while speaking at the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku, Azerbaijan on Saturday.
His statement during the summit touched on two key topics; climate change and terrorism.
During his speech, Minister Shahid highlighted that "global warming has a cascading effect" and that the consequences of climate change will "know neither states nor boundaries". He further noted that there will be 200 million climate refugees by the end of 2050 according to the world banks' estimates and that small islands such as the Maldives are at-risk. Hence, he emphasized the importance of member countries of the NAM to address climate change.
One of the most precarious challenges facing and other small island developing states is threats caused by climate change. Global warming has a cascading effect on us whereby the increasing temperatures and the rising sea levels continue to threaten our very own existence. Nations are diverting the already dwindling freshwater sources to cater to their own populations at the expense of others, for scarcity and inflation for food prices are already a reality, especially in densely populated developing countries. These austere challenges don’t only adversely affect the environment but also have far-reaching other consequences. It is therefore with utmost urgency that we call upon nations of the world to address the biggest challenge of our time – climate change. Once the tipping point is reached, nature's catastrophic and irreversible consequences will know neither states nor boundaries.Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid
While speaking on the topic of terrorism, the minister stated that there is no easy solution and that it requires the international community to come together and tackle the issue in a thorough manner. He also highlighted the importance of documenting root causes.
Furthermore, he expressed Maldives' support for the political declaration of the NAM on Palestine stating that the Maldives will "continue this call until every Palestinian can live and lead a civilized life with peace and dignity."
The foreign minister went on to condemn Israel's "aggressive settlement regime" against Palestine, and stressed that Israel is sabotaging the two-state solution.
Nearly seven decades on, our Palestinian brothers and sisters are still struggling for independence. How much longer are we going to sit back and watch the Palestinians endure this spectacle of malevolent justice? Israel is pursuing an unacceptable aggressive settlement regime, eating away at the Palestinian territory and torpedoing the chance of success of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. It is therefore without question that the Maldives fully supports and welcomes the political declaration of the NAM on Palestine. We need to rise and act for our bros and sis before they fall deeper into the abyss. We will continue this call until every Palestinian can live and lead a civilized life with peace and dignity.Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid
The 18th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of NAM, held from 25-26 of October, was attended by 120 countries, with the theme of “Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world”
NAM was founded in 1961 during the fall of colonialization in the continents of Africa, Asia, and Latin America when the Cold War was at its peak.
