Closing Statement by His Excellency Dr Abdulla Khaleel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, at the Ministerial Meeting of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea Small Island Developing States
22 September 2025, New York
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Thank you, Excellency,
The Maldives extends its gratitude to Cabo Verde for convening this very important meeting.
We also applaud Cabo Verde’s leadership in coordinating the work of the AIS-SIDS.
I would like to note that there has been some progress on the discussions of possible guidelines or terms of reference for the AIS-SIDS Coordination Mechanism since the last Ministerial Meeting in Praia.
I have instructed my team here in New York to work collaboratively to ensure a successful conclusion to the discussions and the operationalization of a coordination mechanism for the AIS-SIDS.
The Maldives has been a strong advocate for greater coordination among and between the AIS-SIDS. This is why we were happy to see a strong call for the establishment of a coordinating arrangement for us, in the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.
This coordinating arrangement must be agile, fit for purpose, and able to navigate the fast-paced, complex arena of United Nations negotiations.
In this regard, we support an arrangement led by our Permanent Representatives here in New York, to share information and exchange ideas to support the implementation and monitoring of the ABAS.
This arrangement must not become a burden for our delegations. It must not strain our already limited resources and capacities.
The Alliance of Small Island States was born out of the Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise, held in Malé, Maldives in November 1989.
The outcome of this Conference, the Malé Declaration on Global Warming and Sea Level Rise brought to the attention of the international community, the threats of global warming and sea level rise.
We built on this legacy, when we chaired AOSIS from 2015 – 2018.
We had the honour to negotiate on behalf of all SIDS the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the QCPR, the Sendai Framework, the New Urban Agenda, and many more.
A decade later, we are pleased to see that a strong international development and environmental architecture has been built on the foundations we laid.
We hope to continue this legacy, and proven track record. This is why we put forward our name to Chair AOSIS for the term 2027 – 2028.
It marks almost four decades of advocacy and leadership by the Maldives, and by AOSIS, on climate change, on sustainable development, and on Ocean issues.
With your support, we are confident that we will be able to achieve even more milestones.
From fast-tracking ABAS implementation to promoting the special circumstances of SIDS, and to ensuring a stronger and more equitable international financial architecture.
The Maldives will work with all SIDS, to achieve the resilient prosperity we wish to achieve.
I thank you.
