A team led by the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Representatives from the US Government and the United Nations, received the vaccines and supplies on the tarmac at Velana International Airport. The Minister of Health, Honourable Ahmed Naseem noted that, “with this batch of vaccines, we can now start vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 17, which would undoubtedly add renewed momentum to our vaccination efforts. I am confident that today’s donation will not only expand our vaccine eligible population thereby decrease the infection rate and fatalities but will also boost overall economic recovery efforts”. Currently, Sinopharm vaccines are being used to administer the second dose and AstraZeneca vaccines are being used to administer first and second doses to all residents above the age of 18. With a brief delay in the second jab to those who received the Covishield vaccine due to global vaccine supply shortages, the Government of Maldives had resumed the drive to fully vaccinate residents on 4 July 2021.   As of 10 August 2021, around 80% of the eligible population has received the first dose and almost 70% received the second, making the country one of the few which has been able to achieve this impressive result, coming very close to vaccinating everyone eligible against COVID-19. UNICEF Representative Marjan Montazemi stated that “We are delighted about the news of Maldives receiving additional doses of vaccines, thanks to the generous donation of the United States Government through the COVAX facility.  The Maldives has received praise for its inclusive COVID-19 vaccination program which ensure every resident irrespective of nationality receives vaccination against the Coronavirus disease. Surely the timely administration of the vaccines combined with communication and community engagement will go a long way in ensuring that all eligible populations are duly covered and with that children having access to learning at school”. “In preparation for the Pfizer vaccine; provision of technical guidance including facilitation of EUL, assistance for facilitation of multiple documents, and extensive cold chain support paired with the required trainings and capacity building have been conducted with WHO’s support, whilst providing a supportive supervisory role in the vaccine roll-out process from the very start.” said Dr Nazneen Anwar, WHO Representative. “We are optimistic that the new vaccine shipment donated by the Government of the United States of America through COVAX will be an added asset to bridge any existing gaps to reach the unreached, and increase the total population’s immunization coverage to protect the population, reduce disease severity and hospitalization from SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a trusted partner, WHO will continue to support the Government of Maldives’ lead in the vaccine roll-out. We also acknowledge and applaud the country’s steadfast steps towards recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.”  The UN Resident Coordinator Catherine Haswell noted that, “the UN welcomes the arrival of a new shipment of vaccines in Maldives, donated by the US Government and facilitated by the COVAX facility. Vaccines are safe, effective and our best hope to end the pandemic. The UN stands ready to support efforts by the Government to provide Pfizer vaccines to children above 12 years of age as well as pregnant women. Together, we can ensure safety and protection of all, and recognize the great strides made in the Maldives in reaching 70% of the population being fully vaccinated as of today”. The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and the consequences and impact of COVID-19 go beyond public health risks associated with a pandemic. From what is observed globally, and, in the Maldives, national recovery efforts need to consider the various but interconnected socioeconomic impacts on access to essential services such as education, learning and health services as well as mental health issues faced by children and adults. COVAX, the vaccine equity scheme, co-led by Gavi, CEPI and WHO with UNICEF as an implementing partner, ensures that safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines are available to all countries around the world to help end the pandemic as quickly as possible.

07/03/2022 Male, Maldives/Rome - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has placed Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the centre of its work to transform agrifood systems,  because of their vulnerability to the climate crisis and other shocks and their importance in the protection of marine biodiversity.  Scattered around the globe but with just some 65 million inhabitants, SIDS account for only 1 per cent of global CO2 emissions, but they bear the brunt of the effects of climate change on their fragile economies. To underline FAO’s commitment to island nations which are both on the front line of the climate crisis and other shocks and at the same time play a vital role as guardians of our oceans’ biodiversity Director-General QU Dongyu is making a two-day visit to the Maldives. While here, the FAO Director-General is signing a Country Programming Framework with the government. It’s aimed at supporting the country’s efforts to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better, increasing resilience to further shocks and addressing development needs. Qu will also meet several ministers and members of civil society and visit a fisheries company and a hydroponic farm, which grows produce without using soil. Innovation crucial to future “Increased innovation and digitalization can help the SIDS, and the rest of the world, achieve the multiple and cross-cutting targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the SAMOA Pathway Framework for Action,” linking commitments on sustainability in all its dimensions and follow-up actions to last year’s UN Food Systems Summit, Qu said. Despite its idyllic image, the Indian Ocean country, consisting of more than 1200 islands, in many ways typifies the challenges SIDS face. Maldivian officials say they are already feeling the effects of precipitation changes and rising temperatures on food production using its tiny total 65 square km of agricultural land. Reliant, like most of the SIDS, on food imports, except for fisheries, the Maldives is suffering the effects of unhealthy diets, resulting in high rates of Non-Communicable Diseases. It is also acutely vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices, exacerbated by COVID-19, which has battered its vital tourism industry. These factors all contribute to a need for “technical expertise and support, as well as financial investments into sustainable, regenerative food production, distribution, and consumption patterns,” Thilmeeza Hussain, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the UN and Special Envoy of the President of the General Assembly said in a keynote address to the SIDS Solutions Dialogue convened by FAO last month. “We look forward to continuing to work with key partners, such as the FAO and others, to implement the necessary changes to ensure equitable and sustainable food systems,” she added. The SIDS Solutions Dialogue was just the latest in a series of platforms which FAO has organized, addressing the challenges faced by SIDS. It followed a SIDS Solutions Forum, co-convened by FAO and the government of Fiji in August 2021, which showcased a raft of innovative ideas developed in SIDS, with potential to be scaled up and replicated. These included smart phone apps to promote healthier eating, based on locally available foods, to providing farming information and collating data on available health resources. The forum was the first of an event which is to be held biennially. Among other FAO initiatives targeted specifically at SIDS is the The Global Action Programme on Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It addresses the need for a more integrated, multi-stakeholder approach to the particular challenges they face in trying to achieve food security and nutrition, and prioritizes stronger international and inter-regional partnerships. The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme also addresses key needs in the SIDS, while FAO’s establishment of  an Office of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries helps to draw attention to the vulnerabilities of SIDS, as well as countries in the other two categories, and further a common approach to address the unique challenges faced by these countries. FAO flagship initiatives benefit SIDS In addition,  a number of SIDS benefit significantly from FAO’s flagship initiatives being implemented globally.  Among these are the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, accelerating rural investment and development, the 1,000 Digital Villages, helping communities take a giant leap forward in digitalization, the Technical Platform for Family Farming, supporting region-to-region cross-fertilization for policy innovation and the One Country One Priority Product, accelerating the development of new agricultural products. All these initiatives add up to a strong commitment by FAO to ensure that SIDS are at the heart of efforts under its Strategic Framework to work towards better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life, leaving no-one behind - in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. That vulnerability was further highlighted in the Pacific region by the aftermath of Tonga’s January 15 underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami, which left parts of the islands’ agricultural land covered in ashfall and caused extensive damage to fisheries.  FAO and its UN partners are working with the Government of Tonga to implement plans for supporting the country’s farmers and fishers to rebuild their livelihoods after the disaster.

MALE, Maldives, 20 October 2021 – In the run up to COP26, the Government of Maldives and UNICEF, in collaboration with UNDP, today hosted the “Our Climate, Our Present, Our Future” event in Male, in an effort to spotlight the devastating impact of climate change on children and young people in Maldives and catalyze action and partnerships to mitigate its effects. The event was attended by over 100 experts, business leaders and young people from Maldives and other small islands developing states (SIDS), such as Seychelles. It was opened by H.E. Ms. Aminath Shauna, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, with remarks by the UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, Ms. Sun Ah Kim Suh, the British High Commissioner for Maldives, Ms. Caron Rohsler, and the UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Enrico Gaveglia, representing UNRC Ms. Catherine Haswell. Through presentations and panel discussions, the event provided a platform for young people from Maldives and other SIDS to make their voices heard and lead by example through climate action, while also sparking synergies among the private sector for innovations, transfer of technology, know-how and climate resilient solutions. JICA was among multiple speakers supporting a more active role for innovation and private sector partnerships in climate action. “Young people have a critical role to play in ensuring that climate change is addressed in the most inclusive manner to ensure maximum resiliency to our communities. We, as government leaders, need to ensure that their voices are welcomed and heard. We need to ensure that they are given platforms to express their views and concerns, so that youth today can lead their own path for change,” said the Minster of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, H.E. Aminath Shauna. In his remarks, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. stressed on the unique risks and consequences climate change poses for the future of island nations like Maldives. He also highlighted the crucial role of young people in climate action in accelerating achievement of the 2030 Agenda which will ensure a healthier, more resilient future for the people and planet.  While children and young people across the globe, especially girls, are the first affected by the climate crisis, they often remain the least empowered to influence climate change policy-making and action, despite their numerous solutions and contributions. In a recent poll run by UNICEF, 77% of young people in Maldives said that they were worried about the effects of climate change, and 92% said they wished to take more action, if provided with support. “We must recognize the climate crisis as a child right’s crisis,” said Marjan Montazemi, UNICEF Representative in Maldives. “For children and young people in Maldives, climate change is a direct threat to their schools, their health centers, and their very survival. Children and young people must be given center stage in all climate negotiations and decisions, and the world must accelerate action to reduce emissions, invest in climate adaptation, actively work with young people and provide children with climate education and green and blue skills.” Maldives has the lowest terrain of any country in the world: four-fifths of the country’s land is less than one meter above sea level. Erosion of the shoreline is already a severe issue in 64 percent of the Maldivian islands, and much critical infrastructure for children and families, including many schools, hospitals and health centers, sit within only 100m of shorelines. The country is predicted to become uninhabitable as early as 2050, and disappear before the end of the century. “Seeing the effects of climate change on my country firsthand has been devastating, especially the rising sea levels,” said Aishath Zeeba Hamid, 19 years old, from Male. “It is a constant reminder that my country is right at the forefront of danger. Further worldwide assistance and cooperation is required, not just for Maldives but all other small island nations suffering similar fates.” Plastic pollution and a limited waste management system remain a major challenge in Maldives, with islands across the country left littered with trash, a significant portion of which are single-use plastics which end up in the ocean and inside marine life. According to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, every year, 104 million non-biodegradable plastic bags are imported into the Maldives. Meanwhile, the archipelago suffers from severe water scarcity, with some islands requiring desalinated water to be shipped in by boat. Water insecurity is slated to increase the incidence of water and vector-borne diseases, destruction of ecosystems, and children’s access to sanitation facilities. The private sector is increasingly being recognized as key to boosting climate resilience through innovative solutions, transfer of expertise, technology, and financing. “To ensure private finance supports the shift to a low-carbon economy, every major financial decision will need to take climate change into account,” said Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Representative in Maldives. Maldives has taken ambitious steps to respond to the climate crisis and has been playing an active role on the world stage for over more than a decade, including with the country now holding the Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. Maldives committed to phasing out single use plastics by 2023 and net zero emissions by 2030, and is also actively supporting children and young people’s direct involvement in climate negotiations and decisions, especially within the context of COP26.

United Nations in Maldives officially launches the activities of the biggest global campaign to mark the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations. The virtual event was initiated by the UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Catherine Haswell, in attendance of her Excellency the First Lady, Ministers of the Cabinet, Ambassadors and colleagues of the diplomatic community, UN colleagues, senior officials from Government institutions, private sector, civil society and other partners this morning. As the United Nations is marking this milestone at a time of great upheaval around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN75 Campaign will collectively bring people together across borders, sectors and generations to join the dialogue to address global challenges. With a special emphasis on participation of the youth and the most vulnerable, the campaign will aim to encourage open discussions about issues such as pandemics, the climate crisis and reducing inequalities to help Maldives to recover better. This Campaign will include a series of events throughout 2020. Through the UN75 activities, UN Maldives looks forward to marking the 55th year of Maldives’ membership of the UN by partnering with the Government, private sector, civil society organizations and the public to enhance engagement through virtual dialogues, media and social media platforms. These conversations will seek to identify ways in which Maldives can build back better through multilateral cooperation and investing in inclusive, resilient communities that leave no one behind. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Abdulla Shahid reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the principles of the United Nations and reiterated the Government’s support to the UN75 dialogues. He also believes that the UN75 initiatives will help Maldives to narrow gaps and build back better with stronger policies. The UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Catherine Haswell called on all partners and Maldivians to join the conversation and ensure that the Maldives is represented in the global discussions. She emphasized the importance of countries working together in a positive spirit of multilateralism to tackle global challenges and preserve development gains for all. UN Maldives expresses sincere appreciation to all our partners for joining the event to kick off UN75 and hopes that the future initiatives under this Campaign will generate ideas and strategies from across the country on the vision that Maldivians have for the future. 2020 also marks the Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Agreed in 2015, Member States agreed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 SDGs to be achieved by every country, by 2030.  The UN supports the Maldives in making progress towards the SDGs, and more inclusive and sustainable development in the country.