The Maldives will play a ‘leading role’ in the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) starting on Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer has said.
SIDS4 will be held in Antigua and Barbuda from 27 to 30 May, where the Maldives will be represented by a high-level delegation led by President Mohamed Muizzu. The delegation will also include the Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Housing, Land and Infrastructure Development Ali Haider Ahmed and Maldives’ Climate Envoy Ali Shareef.
“Departing for Antigua and Barbuda with President Dr. @MMuizzu [Mohamed Muizzu] to participate in the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States #SIDS4. #Maldives served as Co-Chair of the Preparatory Committee for #SIDS4. We will continue to play a leading role, championing issues that are important to us, shaping the global agenda on SIDS. President Dr. @MMuizzu and senior government officials will take part in numerous high-level events, ensuring our voice is heard. #MaldivesAtSIDS4,” Zameer said in a post to social media
Meanwhile, Environment and Energy Minister Thoriq Ibrahim said the conference will address a wide range of issues related to financial assistance to small island nations affected by climate change — the Maldives will organise three events on the sidelines of SIDS4.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the SIDS4 International Conference, under the theme “Charting the Course Towards Resilient Prosperity,” comes as SIDS Member States, many of which are tourist dependent nations, continue to face the lingering impacts of COVID-19, mounting debt, catastrophic climatic events, and biodiversity loss.