Abdulla Khaleel, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Maldives, said reform of the Organization is no longer optional but is the only path forward. “Any serious reform must tackle the Security Council’s paralysis,” he said.  Reform must begin with a more representative Council. “A rotating seat for SIDs is where we must start” he said, adding:  “We need a Council that does not hide under the threat of veto.”  The Secretary-General’s three-track reform should be led and driven by Member States and focused on implementation. It should enhance the UN’s presence – especially in small island developing States; align mandates and secure predictable development finance; and ensure sufficient programme delivery staff.

Reform is also about credibility and “credibility lives or dies with trust in multilateralism.” “If the UN cannot act to prevent, to protect and to provide, trust in multilateralism will continue to erode,” he said, stressing: “UN80 must repair the guardrails before they fail beyond repair.” He said the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction must be fully implemented and commitments from the third UN Ocean Conference and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development “must translate into tangible gains for our islands -and above all, deliver debt relief.”

The Maldives advocates reform abroad by taking responsibility at home and its Maldives 2.0 programme serves as a blueprint for change.  “It is reshaping governance, digitizing services, and building an inclusive, future-ready economy, so every child, on every island, has the same chance to thrive,” he said.  Health, for example, is central and the Government has banned vaping devices, e-cigarettes and tobacco for the next generation. As innovation drives resilience, the country has become a hub for investment and new ideas with the Maldives International Financial Centre as its cornerstone.  “Geography is an asset we are determined to use,” he added. “By investing in maritime, logistics and trade gateways, we are placing the Maldives at the crossroads of global exchange.”