Maldives Calls for Debt Relief and Climate Action at China-Hosted Development Meeting
- Vice President Latheef said unsustainable debt limits developing countries' ability to invest in resilience, reaffirming Maldivian support for China's Global Development Initiative.
- He warned climate change threatens development gains for small island states and urged COP31 to turn commitments into action.
- Latheef highlighted the Maldives-China partnership and identified science, technology and AI as drivers of sustainable development requiring greater cooperation.
Unsustainable debt is limiting developing countries’ ability to invest in resilience, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said as the Maldives reaffirmed its support for the China-backed Global Development Initiative (GDI).
Speaking at a high-level meeting hosted by China on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Latheef called for stronger cooperation among developing countries to address shared development challenges. He said initiatives such as the GDI could help countries pursue sustainable development.
The Vice President also warned that climate change threatens development gains, particularly in small island developing states. He called for COP31 to turn existing climate commitments into meaningful action.
Latheef pointed to the Maldives’ longstanding development partnership with China, including its contribution to national development. He thanked China for its continued work on the GDI.
He also identified science, technology and artificial intelligence as potential drivers of sustainable development, calling for greater international cooperation on training, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing.
