Statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations,

 Compassionate Data: The Role of Data for Climate Change Resilience

Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentleman,

I wish to thank the organisers for the opportunity to address such a diverse group of people here this evening.  I am pleased to share some perspectives of a small island state, the Maldives from where I come from, a country, which as you all know, is at the frontlines of climate change.

As most of you may aware, the Maldives is currently facing extraordinary economic and developmental challenges than no other Maldivian generation has ever had contemplated before. Climate change is a threat to the very existence of our home, the low-lying small coral islands of the Maldives; it is a threat to our society; and it is a threat to our economy, which is based on tourism and fisheries. Maldives is among the most vulnerable, yet it is also the least equipped to deal with the projected impacts of climate change and associated sea level rise.

The extraordinary challenge before the present generation of Maldivians is to make the Maldives resilient and adaptable. Looking at a short-term 10-year plan, it is envisaged that USD 1.5 billion needs to be invested collectively on adaptation and mitigation. A small number to some countries or companies perhaps, but a huge number to a small developing country like ours.

Tourism and Fisheries are the cornerstones of our economy. These activities rely heavily on our coral reefs, which are major tourist attractions and nurseries for our fisheries, in addition to being the physical foundations on which the Maldives is built on. Climate Change brings stronger and more frequent large-scale coral bleaching events. Also Oceans absorb about 30% of anthropogenic CO² that contributes to Ocean Acidification, hampering the ability of our coral reefs to develop their skeletons.

Our recent analysis and prediction of the climate scenarios indicate that the temperatures are on a rising trend of 0.2 degrees a decade and the projections indicate that there could be a rise of 1.8 degrees by 2050 compared to today. The gap between the northeast monsoon and southwest monsoon (which are the only two seasons in the Maldives) have over the years become more prominent, and are further predicted to increase. The current sea surface temperatures are increasing at a rate of 0.14 degrees and projections indicate that it could rise by 2 degrees by 2050. This would have a significant impact on our fragile coral reefs and thus on the existence of these islands. The extreme rainfall events are on the increasing trend with a tremendous increase in the magnitude. The extended dry periods are on the high during northeast monsoon. This adds the stress on the availability of fresh water supply and the government was compelled to provide potable water to outer islands accounting to roughly US$30 million during the past 7 years.  The sea levels are on the rising trend at a rate of 3mm a year. Inundation due to this puts the coastal infrastructure and people lives at stage.

Projections about our future are extremely bleak. While communities cannot adapt to or mitigate these impacts without first having the understanding of how exactly they will be affected, it is not the case in the Maldives. Annual sea swells, extreme weather patterns and rising temperatures and associated effects are already happening. We don't need more data to prove climate change is real. But we do need data to prove how much of an impact climate change would have on our communities and our way of life. Maldives remains deeply concerned on the scientific findings due to adverse effects of climate change on low-lying island states as my own and we believe that science and fact based, informed decisions should be the basis for making climate change policy across the globe.

Maldives is a small island nation: which is a real victim, but is contributing negligibly to the global warming. But as a member of the international community we believe that this is a global issue that requires a collective action from international community to mitigate. Climate change knows no boundaries, does not differentiate between the rich and the poor. We are firm believers that each and every one of us has a responsibility to take action based on principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and their respective capabilities and to their country context.

We are extremely heartened to see the outpouring of global support towards climate action. We hope that this support will propel the leaders of all countries to take bold, pragmatic and sustainable steps towards addressing the very real threat of climate change.

Thank you.

Statement by

Her Excellency Ms Dunya Maumoon,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives

At the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the International Conference on Population and Development Beyond 2014 (ICPD)

New York, 22 September 2014

Mr. President, Secretary-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the States represented here today, who believed in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. Today we can look back on our work with pride, and know that we have contributed to improving the lives of our people, and of our global community of nations. I wish to commend the President of the General Assembly for convening this historic Special Session on Population and Development. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the Secretary General for his efforts and leadership and welcome his report, on the follow-up to the Programme of Action of the ICPD Beyond 2014.

Mr. President,

The Maldives is a development success story. In the 1980s, the Maldives ranked among the world’s 20 poorest nations. Now, it is a middle-income country, the third country to graduate from the UN List of Least Developed Countries, with a GDP per capita of over USD 6000 in 2013. Maternal mortality rates that stood at 500 per 100,000 live births in 1990 came down to 13 per 100,000 live births in 2012, while infant mortality rate has dropped from 34 per 1000 live births to 9 per 1000 live births in the same period. Consistently, the literacy in the Maldives has maintained at over 98% for the last 30 years. Under the 2008 Employment Act, we have guaranteed maternity leave for working mothers with 3-months full pay. The Maldives has always provided equal pay for equal work.  We have fully achieved five out of the eight Millennium Development Goals and is on track for achieving the remaining three goals; yet, the Maldives story is far from complete. Major challenges remain.

While emerging issues are becoming more prominent, old challenges remain persistent. Equal income distribution has always remained a constant challenge. While Maldivian women are amongst the most emancipated in South Asia, with unhindered access to employment, education, healthcare and social mobility, they have limited opportunity for economic empowerment and gender based violence remains a challenge. The Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on violence against women. The Government is also in the process of enacting Gender Equality Law, which will be establishing a legal framework that addresses all forms of discrimination against women. A comprehensive National Reproductive Health Strategy has been formulated to provide access to timely, adequate and quality reproductive health care. Furthermore, knowledge of HIV and STI needs to be strengthened and healthy and responsible behaviours encouraged.

Mr. President,

Catering to the youth of the country is a major policy priority of the Government. Children and youth account for 44 % of the population of the Maldives. Unemployment, which gives rise to a wide ranging set of challenges such as drug abuse and delinquency, are grave concerns for the public and the government. Major projects such as building a “Youth City”, which is set to become a major hub for employment and innovation, have been announced and practical work is underway for its realization.

The Maldives has a track record of formulating policies based on statistical evidence.  Two days ago, a new national census was launched, despite a lapse of eight years since the last census was held in 2006. Once again, the national census will play a central role in understanding the real and current picture of the national population, its trends and other parameters. Setting a new precedent, data and statistics on the migrant population will be collected in the new census, enabling the Government to take further measures to protect and serve the interests of migrant workers which some estimates show as more than one-third of the local population.

The Maldives believes that for sustainable development to be realized, a global population that can be sustained within the ecological limits of the planet, that enjoys basic human rights and dignity, and experiences socio-economic wellbeing, is essential. In this regard, we call for the inclusion of the Secretary-General’s report and the regional review outcomes in the discussions on the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

Mr. President,

A nation’s most precious resource is its human resource, its citizens, especially for a country as small as the Maldives, with limited natural assets. Without human development, sustainable development is entirely beyond reach. As we begin to write the next era of the Maldivian story, we remain fully committed to the further implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. We remain committed to our people, especially our youth and women, and to the full realisation of their potential.

Thank you