Ms. Catherine Haswell, UN Resident Coordinator; Ms. Akiko Fujii, Resident Representative of UNDP; State Minister Ahmed Khaleel; State Minister of Health Dr. Shah Mahir; Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor; Deputy Minister of Tourism Ahmed Athif; Representatives from UN Agencies;
Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen. Assalamu alaikum and a very good afternoon to you.
Today, we are gathered here to mark the symbolic handover of the Personal Protective Equipment and one million non-surgical masks from UNDP to the Maldives, which has come at the most opportune moment in our COVID recovery. On behalf of the people and the Government of Maldives, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to UNDP, for these generous contributions. I am confident that this will further enhance the efforts of the Government to effectively contain the spread of this virus and help us in our long term economic recovery.
This pandemic has left the entire world at a standstill, exposed many vulnerabilities among our communities and deepened the inequalities between countries. The Maldives - a Small Island Developing State - continues to suffer from the multidimensional impacts of this pandemic.
However, the resilience of our people amidst this health crisis and the subsequent economic crisis has been nothing but extraordinary. It is our frontline workers, in particular, who have assumed the crucial role of ensuring the safety of our communities. Their continuous hard work has brought us closer to the light at the end of this tunnel. We are therefore extremely grateful for the PPEs provided as part of the UNDP’s COVID-19 Integrated Response Offer, that will provide a layer of security for our diligent force at the frontlines.
The recently launched Rapid Livelihoods Assessment Report on COVID-19 has presented us with a more transparent picture of the situation on the ground, and laid out useful recommendations for our economic recovery. I am pleased to note that the one million non-surgical masks we received today from UNDP, in collaboration with the Teochew International Federation, will enable us to implement these recommendations more easily, as they are intended for staff working in the local tourism sector. This will go a long way towards supporting the revival of our economy as our local tourism sector seeks to adapt to the new normal.
Over the years, UNDP has proven time and again, its reliability as one of the most treasured development partners of the Maldives. They have remained by our side throughout the worst circumstances we have endured, guiding us by the binding principles of the UN Charter. I also believe that the presence of UNDP in the Maldives is a testament to the warm ties we share and adds value to the various initiatives launched by the Maldives to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
I thank Ms. Akiko Fujii and the UNDP team for the commitment they have shown in supporting our journey towards achieving the national priorities outlined in the UNDAF and the subsequent UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. UNDP’s support spans across a several areas including the mitigation of climate change, consolidation of democracy and eradication of poverty. This stands as an excellent example of the collaboration that exists in the international community today, as we aim to “Build Back Better” from this pandemic.
I would also like to thank the UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Catherine Haswell for her strong commitment and leadership in steering the work of the UN Country Team to reinforce the strategic partnership between the Maldives and UN.
No matter the intensity of the storm ravaging at our shores, we derive our hope for a better dawn from the support given by our bilateral and multilateral partners such as the UN. May the strong partnership between the Maldives and the UN continue to prosper and stand the test of time.
I thank you.