President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih delivered the Maldives’ General Debate Statement at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.
President Solih, who took Office on November 17, 2018, addressed at the UN for the first time, a Maldivian Head of State has not addressed the UNGA in the past seven years.
In his address, President Solih summarized the political changes that took place in Maldives over the last few years, and highlighted Maldives’ efforts to ensure Human Rights.
Noting that the freedom of independence and freedom of state institutions were lost, he emphasized that the independence of the judiciary and the parliament had been compromised. He recalled that opposition leaders were either jailed or exiled to other countries before his government began administration.
President Solih also took a firm stance on the ever-present threat of climate change, stating that the lack of global action is alarming.
The President reminded the UN Member States of their collective failure to resolve the issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and affirmed the Maldives’ longstanding sympathy and unwavering support towards the Palestinian people. Further, he condemned Israel’s continued construction of illegal settlements and violations of Palestinians’ rights.
