A newly published report by the United Nations in the Maldives has drawn attention to key shortcomings in the country’s social protection, data systems, and climate adaptation efforts, while also spotlighting areas where significant progress has been made through multilateral cooperation and partnerships.
The UN Maldives Annual Results Report 2024 outlines the achievements and challenges of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) in the country, covering its implementation between January and December 2023.
According to the report, the Maldives continues to make advances in governance reform and health sector readiness. However, limited capacity in critical areas—particularly gender-based violence response services and systems to support persons with disabilities—has hampered progress towards broader inclusion goals. The report notes that inadequate infrastructure and investment have led to “sub-optimal” protection, especially for the most vulnerable.
The need for disaggregated, reliable data also emerged as a pressing concern, with the report stating that this gap “limits evidence-based decision-making.” Several initiatives, such as the Population and Housing Census and the Health Information System, were highlighted as ongoing efforts to improve the country’s data environment. However, the report found that investment in data remains limited, and “significant gaps remain.”
Climate adaptation and environmental resilience were also flagged as areas requiring urgent and sustained attention. The report describes the Maldives as facing heightened exposure to climate risks, including coastal flooding and coral reef degradation. Efforts to address these challenges included partnerships between UN agencies and the government to develop early warning systems and green financing mechanisms. Still, the report cautioned that adaptation efforts often remain project-based, leading to inconsistencies in policy enforcement and implementation.
On the positive side, 2023 saw notable achievements in areas such as national planning, governance reform, and digital transformation. The Maldives was one of the first countries globally to pilot the UN 2.0 initiative—a platform for integrated digital solutions aimed at accelerating SDG progress. According to the report, this pilot has already yielded promising outcomes, particularly in the design of the new National Development Plan and the launch of the “Data to Policy” platform, intended to better align national policies with real-time data.
The UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, Catherine Haswell, noted in her foreword that 2023 was marked by “stronger UN collaboration, joint work planning, and country-level evaluation,” calling it a year of “strong delivery and results.” However, she also acknowledged that the challenges of climate change, inclusion, and governance will require continued support and adaptive responses.
Gender equality remains an area of mixed progress. While the Maldives has taken steps towards creating inclusive legal frameworks and enhancing access to sexual and reproductive health services, deeply rooted gender norms and weak enforcement mechanisms continue to limit the effectiveness of these reforms. The report notes that 14.1 percent of women in the Maldives have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner—underlining the urgency for more robust services and legal protections.
The report also documents efforts in the areas of youth empowerment, with over 800 adolescents and young people reached through civic education and employment-readiness programmes. In the health sector, the UN supported the national rollout of mental health services in three regions, including training over 200 professionals.
As the Maldives navigates a complex development landscape marked by fiscal constraints, political transitions, and climate vulnerabilities, the report calls for a shift from project-based aid to more sustainable, systemic support. It urges greater investment in long-term development planning and stronger accountability systems, particularly in monitoring the country’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
With a new government in office and ongoing institutional reforms underway, the UN’s 2024 outlook highlights the importance of sustained partnerships, inclusive policies, and a renewed focus on capacity building across sectors. The next phase of the UN’s engagement in the Maldives will include preparations for the new Cooperation Framework covering the period 2026–2030.
