Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid Takes Part in 20th Session of High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation

Ongoing from June 1 to June 4, 2021, the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation is currently sitting for their 20th session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Taking part in the event, Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid represented the Maldives and delivered a statement.  

Minister Shahid credited the global help in the form of key strategic partnerships to have helped Maldives place itself as an upper middle-income country in 2011, a step up from its previous placement in the list of least developed countries. He recognized South-South and triangular cooperation to be one of the main drivers of regional cooperation and stability that has led to an increase of commerce, investments and exchange of information and technology. 

Having been delicate in the face of the global pandemic, Minister Shahid acknowledged the generous contribution of materials, healthcare workers, and essential commodities, as well as financing and support for the tourism sector from the global South. He stressed on the importance of solidarity in rebuilding the Maldives sustainably and in building back greener and bluer. 

Concluding his speech, Minister Shahid stated that the future of South-South Cooperation should be based on solidarity, equality and mutual respect and called on the moral and political obligation of the global North to support countries in the global South, via transfer of technology and the provision of finance. 

The ongoing 20th session of High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation will review the progress made in implementing the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, the new directions strategy for South-South cooperation, the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation and the Buenos Aires outcome document of the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40).