“Rebuild communities. Rescue the planet. Recover economies. And above all, restore hope.” - President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Abdulla Shahid

History marks yet another milestone in the Maldives as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulla Shahid wins the post of the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This is the first time the Maldives has presented a candidate for the Presidency of the General Assembly. 
 
Winning with a majority of 143 votes out of a total 191 votes cast, Mr. Shahid representing the Maldives has become the sixth President from a Small Island Developing State, presiding over the UN General Assembly in the history of the United Nations. 
 
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Shahid expressed deep gratitude for the trust the member states have placed in him and the Maldives. He stated that immediate priority will be placed on ensuring vaccine equity around the globe. “No one is safe, until everyone is safe," he said.  
 
Mr. Shahid also threw light on the ‘Decade of Action’ sustainability restoration initiative by the UN, which in his vision will also be a Decade of Recovery that focuses on building back better, building back stronger, and building back greener and bluer. 
 
Further in his speech, Mr. Shahid promised to create a safe space for the youth to voice their issues at the UN General Assembly. He pressed on the fact that work will be done to conduct UN on a transparent, efficient, effective, and accountable platform, as a coordinated, coherent, and cooperative system.  
 
The Maldives joined the United Nations on 21 September 1965, soon after gaining independence and has since been an active member. Minister Shahid was nominated as the Maldives candidate for the election, by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for the Asia-Pacific Group’s turn, for the session that would commence on 14 September 2021.