Statement delivered by 

Mr Ahmed Suzil, First Secretary 

on Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly 

15 November 2018

Thank you Madam President,

My Delegation wishes to congratulate Ambassador Sima Sami Bahous, Permanent Representative of Jordan and Ambassador Michal Mlynar, Permanent Representative of Slovakia for being appointed as Co-Chairs of the Ad-Hoc Working Group of Revitalization of the General Assembly during the 73rd Session. We also wish to thank Ambassador Maria Emma Mejia Velez, Permanent Representative of Colombia, and Ambassador Vladimir Drobnjak, Permanent Representative of Croatia for their dedication and leadership in Co-Chairing the revitalisation process.   

My Delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his Report under this Agenda Item and we welcome the adoption of today’s Resolution that highlights the importance of strengthening the role, effectiveness, and efficiency of the General Assembly.

Madam President,  

The General Assembly remains the only universal body and the most important forum to discuss the most pressing challenges facing the international community. The revitalisation work therefore must result in enhancing, in an incremental manner, the ability of the Assembly, in making meaningful and positive difference to the lives of people in our countries.

Towards that end, we note with a sense of appreciation, the steps that were taken during the last Session. We saw significant improvements in the work of the President of the General Assembly, we are seeing more transparency and accountability, including in the Office of the President of the General Assembly. We hope to see reinvigorated series of “Dialogues” by the pga, that brought together small groups of Permanent Representatives, which gave space for genuine dialogues on important issues relevant to the ga.  

We encourage regular meetings between the Presidents of the Assembly, ecosoc, and the Security Council to assist the Assembly to make more informed decisions as well as to make necessary adjustments in shaping the work of the Assembly.   

During the on-going 73rd Session, we would like to see on the agenda of the Working Group, the question of campaigns for elections in the Assembly. As we all know, every passing year, campaigns have become more competitive, more intense. We have to find ways in which, we could make elections free and fair. We therefore believe that the same standards of transparency, fairness, and accountability, we expect in our domestic elections, must be observed here at the United Nations as well.   

The other aspect that the Working Group should look into is the amount of resolutions that the Assembly adopts and their implementation. Questions need to be asked about the usefulness of adopting the same resolutions repeatedly every year, or every other year, or adopting more than one resolution on the same subject. There is room for the Assembly to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.  

The Maldives believes in the promise of the United Nations – the beauty of multilateralism. We are making strides, but we can, and we should do more. We must ensure that every Member State in this room be provided an equal opportunity to let their voices be heard. We have made many strides but we still have far to go. We can, and we should do all we can to make a more effective, and efficient organisation, where the work we do here makes a real impact at home. We can, and we should look at the various means, the many ways in which we, the international community, can make a difference.  

I thank you, Madam President. 

Explanation of Vote on the General Assembly Resolution “Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965”

New York, 22 May 2019

Thank you Madam President,

I am taking the floor to provide an explanation of our vote before the Vote, on the draft resolution as contained in document A/73/L.84 entitled

“Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965”

Madam President,

The Maldives has always supported all processes concerning decolonization of territories within the United Nations. It will not deny any peoples their right to self-determination. As a responsible member of the United Nations, we strongly abide by the principles of the UN Charter, and express our support for a rules-based international order. The Maldives record in the General Assembly would reflect this fact.

The Maldives also supports and accepts the jurisdiction and role of the International Court of Justice to settle disputes and to give advisory opinions on important legal questions referred to it by the bodies of the United Nations. We strongly believe that the acceptance of the role of the ICJ is paramount, in solidifying the supremacy of international law in a rules-based system, and in the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

However, a decision made by any international body that does not reflect the genuine interests of the states concerned cannot amount to an effective and long-lasting solution. Indeed, the Maldives has always believed that the issue of the Chagos Archipelago would best be addressed through dialogue between the states concerned.

The resolution before us today will have serious implications for the Maldives. While we fully respect the advisory opinion of the ICJ on this matter, the resolution before us, prejudges the implications on the submission by the Maldives to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which was done in July 2010. Without due process and clarity on the legal implications of a contested matter, Maldives is not in a position to support the resolution solely as a matter of ‘decolonization’.  For the Maldives, any uncertainty concerning the issue of the Chagos Archipelago will have serious implications for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and to the wider security of the Indian Ocean region.

It is for these reasons, the Maldives will vote NO on the resolution. However we would like to reiterate that our vote should not be construed as a vote or a position taken against the co-sponsors of the resolution, with whom we have excellent relations.

Thank you Madam President.