The Maldives has been elected to serve as one of the Vice Presidents of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which will be held from September 2025 to September 2026.
The election took place on Monday, 2 June, at the UN Headquarters in New York. The Maldives was selected alongside Bangladesh, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Timor-Leste to represent the Asia-Pacific Group, which holds five of the 21 available Vice President positions for each session.
This election comes at a notable moment for the Maldives, as it coincides with the country’s 60th anniversary of United Nations membership. The Maldives joined the UN on 21 September 1965, and the anniversary will be marked during the upcoming UNGA session.
As Vice President, the Maldives will be responsible for carrying out the duties of the President of the General Assembly in the event of their absence or incapacity. Vice Presidents hold the same powers and responsibilities as the President during such times, although they operate under the authority of the General Assembly.
Each session of the UNGA elects 21 Vice Presidents. These include six from African states, five from Asia-Pacific states, two from Latin American and Caribbean states, two from Western European and other states, one from Eastern European states, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has welcomed the election, noting that the Maldives is committed to contributing to a successful session and to strengthening multilateral cooperation during its term. He also highlighted the symbolic importance of this role as the country prepares to commemorate six decades of membership in the UN.
The Maldives’ appointment continues the country’s active engagement at the United Nations. In a previous milestone, former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid served as President of the 76th session of the General Assembly.
Other countries from the South Asian region, including India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have also previously served as Vice Presidents of the UNGA.
