UNGA Statements

UNGA60 (2005)

Statement on Deferral of the smooth transition period for the graduation of Maldives from the list of least developed countries by HE Dr Mohamed Latheef

Statement by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Latheef, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations, after the adoption of draft resolution A/60/L.21 “Deferral of the smooth transition period for the graduation of Maldives from the list of least developed countries”, at the plenary of the United Nations General Assembly -30 November 2005

 

Mr. President.

 

The unanimous adoption of draft resolution A/60/L.21 on the “Deferral of the smooth transition period for the graduation of Maldives from the list of least developed countries” not only gives hope and encouragement to my country alone, but it also demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the international community to truly ensure smooth transition for the graduating countries so that their development plans and projects will not be interrupted due to graduation. This decision has also given us the confidence that the international community will stand by us and render whatever assistance as may be necessary to restore the damages caused by the tsunami to the Maldives and to move ahead with the development process.

 

Mr. President,

 

Allow me to take this opportunity, on behalf of my country to extend our sincere appreciation to the entire international community for the understanding they have exercised and the support they have extended to us in the formulation and adoption of this resolution unanimously. With particular gratitude I reiterate our heartfelt appreciation to the members of the Group of 77 and China, its Chair in distinction, for the solidarity and the unqualified support they have extended to my country on this issue. I would also like to extend our very sincere thanks to the European Union, Japan and the United States of America for the understanding and flexibility that they have shown in accommodating our request for an extension.  We will always remember the difficult concessions they have made in order to reach an agreement. We would also like to put on record our thanks to the unwavering support extended by the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Tsunami Recovery, President Clinton and his Office. Last but not the least; allow me to express our sincere gratitude for Mr. Carlos Gabriel Ruiz-Massieu Aguirre, of Mexico for the helpful manner in which he facilitated this draft resolution.

 

Mr. President.

 

We know of no country or region that had successfully attained a full recovery from a disaster of this scale in three years. We are therefore aware of the challenges that lie ahead of us.  However, we are a determined people, and we would like to take this opportunity to assure this Assembly and the international community that we will leave no stone unturned to do so.  We fully understand that the tsunami has placed serious obstacles against our vision of becoming a middle income developing country by 2020.  Nevertheless our resolve will not be deterred.  We are confident that once again with the help of our development partners we would build back better and emerge from this disaster stronger than ever before and proceed with the process of graduation as specified in Assembly resolution 59/209.

 

Mr. President,

 

The Indian Ocean tsunami has yet again, proven the extent of the vulnerabilities faced by small island states like the Maldives. No single island of my country was spared in the disaster. Within a matter of minutes most of the development progress that we have worked so hard to achieve over many decades, and the basis for the decision to graduate the country, was literally washed away and destroyed.  Nearly an year has passed since the disaster but the situation in the Maldives has not eased. The proportionate economic impact of the tsunami on my country is far

 

too greater for an easy re-bounce. The disaster has effectively paralyzed the economy. We pray that this will be temporary. Rising oil prices, unforeseen tsunami related expenditures and revenue shortfalls from tourism sector are creating significant fiscal pressures at alarmingly high levels. As a direct result of this situation, for the first time in our history, we are now faced with an acute financial crisis and are forced to appeal for budgetary support from our development partners and other friendly countries.

 

Before I conclude, Mr. President, allow me also to sound out in this Assembly that there is still a major funding gap in the national tsunami recovery and reconstruction programmes of my country. Out of a total of $470 million, estimated for the programme, nearly one third is yet to be pledged. The Maldives is the only country experiencing such a funding gap. While we express our deep appreciation to our development partners and the entire world community for the most generous assistance that they have already extended to us, we would like to make a plea to the international community for further assistance to bridge this gap as soon as possible; for it would be almost impossible for us to pull ourselves out of this disaster without such help.

 

I thank you Mr. President.

Statement by the Maldives at the General Assembly under Agenda Item 117: Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters

Following is the statement given by Mr. Ahmed Khaleel,

Delivered on 21 July 2006 on Agenda Item 117 “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters” and item 120 “Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit”

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Mr. President, The resolve of the international community to reform and revitalize the United Nations has never been stronger. The momentum that the reforms process had gathered over the past year has been remarkable and we should not let the goodwill and understanding that we have witnessed recently to diminish before real and meaningful reforms can be implemented. Since the World Summit last September, much indeed had been achieved. The establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, the creation of the Human Rights Council and the various reforms that had already been agreed on the administration and management of the organization are major achievements that we all can be proud of, in this regard. However, it is equally important

Mr. President, that we make advancements on the deliberations to reform the Security Council. For more than a decade, we have discussed the need to reform the Security Council to enable it to better reflect the present day realities, without much success. The Maldives believes that the time has come to break the impasse and take bold and concrete decisions. The Maldives has always supported the enlargement of the Security Council. We believe that the reforms of the Council should include the enlargement of its membership, both in the permanent and the non-permanent member categories, as well as a thorough examination of the working methods and its decision making process. At this juncture allow me

Mr. President, to acknowledge with appreciation the work being done by the informal Working Group of the Security Council on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency. We are fully convinced that a more transparent and a more representative Council would increase and strengthen its authority and effectiveness. While we welcome and remain open to the various proposals that are before the Assembly, in our view the G4 proposals on the reforms of the Council can form a good basis for a resolution on this important issue.

Mr. President, Sound multilateralism is crucial for our quest for a better world in an age of globalization. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security, fostering economic cooperation and harmonizing international action towards a better future is not an impossible task. I thank you Mr. President.

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