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Minister Shahid meets with the United Nations Secretary-General

19 June 2023

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres in New York today.

At the meeting held during the Minister’s official visit to Washington D.C. and New York, Minister Shahid reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Maldives to the United Nations and its Charter, and its commitment to working on priorities such as climate change, environmental sustainability, gender equality and youth empowerment.

Minister Shahid thanked the Secretary-General for including the Maldives as one of the 30 pilot countries for the “Early Warnings for All” Initiative. He also commended the Secretary-General on his decision to convene a “Climate Ambition Summit” during the High-Level Week of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and in this context, noted the work that needs to be done ahead of COP28 to the UNFCCC, to be held in the United Arab Emirates later in the year.

The Minister also heard a briefing from the Secretary General on the ongoing issues of concern at the United Nations. He committed the full support of the Maldivian delegation to the Secretary General, and his team.

During the meeting, Minister Shahid was accompanied by State Minister Khaleel, Secretary, Bilateral Dr. Hala Hameed and Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, Thilmeeza Hussain.