The United Nations Country Office has hosted an event to launch activities in the Maldives to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the UN (UN75).

The virtual event to celebrate UN75 as well as the 55th Anniversary of the Maldives’ membership of the UN (MV55) revolves around the theme “the future we want, the UN we need” under which a series of event are to be conducted in partnership with the government, the civil society and the general public and the campaign was launched by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid and UN Resident Coordinator, Catherine Haswell.

The campaign is mostly based on online engagements and will foster the ideals of inclusivity and diversity, and is set to drive change by providing a platform for people from “all walks of life”.

The UN75 and MV55 campaign is designed to assist the Government in identifying the upstream policy support needed in addressing the gaps in the society as well as in battling the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event saw the launching of a video clip for the campaign entitled “Shaping our Future” and the real time conduction of the UN75 survey among the participants.

“Shaping our Future” featured a miscellaneous cross-section of the Maldivian society ranging from senior government officials, to local civil society actors, who expressed views regarding the future they want for Maldives. They went on to shed light on topics ranging from economic diversification and decentralization, to good governance and environmentalism.

The event was attended by FM Shahid, First Lady Fazna Ahmed, Cabinet Ministers, Haswell, actors of the civil society and other dignitaries.

Speaking at the virtual ceremony, FM Shahid noted the immense socio-economic progress achieved by the Maldives after becoming a member of the UN, and recalled the aspirations of the Government to provide the people of the Maldives with a better future guided by the principles of the UN charter.

Commending the UN75 and MV55 campaign, the minister recognized the “increasingly real and dynamic challenges” faced by the world today, and expressed his confidence that the strength of the UN will prevail in bringing the nations together to pursue global solutions to these global challenges.

Further speaking at the event, First Lady Fazna emphasized on how the social and economic alterations we have made to our lives in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have made it clear how significant social bonds are. All actions must be taken in light of how they affect others, said the First Lady, who added that “no person should prioritize their own needs above the community, since we all rely upon others for help; and that our individual well-being is inextricable from our common well-being.”

Speaking during the event, Haswell noted the significant achievements gained from the active engagement of the Maldives in the UN. She then stated that the Maldives experience is a “practical demonstration of how multilateralism and international cooperation can support the achievement of great ambition and vision.”