Press Release

Digitalisation takes the Centre Stage in the Summit of the Future National Side Event Co-hosted by the Government of Maldives and the United Nations

10 September 2024

[9 September 2024, Male’] -The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, in partnership with the United Nations in the Maldives and key stakeholders from the Government, the academia and civil society, successfully convened the "Summit of the Future Side Event: An Intelligence-Driven Future for the Maldives". The aim of this event is to advance the knowledge and understanding of digitalization, technology, and innovation among stakeholders and the public, encouraging their engagement on the transformative potential of digital connectivity to strengthen governance and enhance resilience across a wide spectrum of social, economic, and environmental domains. This event was held in anticipation of the forthcoming Summit of the Future being held in New York from 22 to 23 September 2024, emphasizing the crucial role of digital connectivity in addressing the multifaceted economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The event was co-hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Moosa Zameer and interim UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Bradley James Busetto. The event featured keynote addresses by President of the Maldives His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and an eminent Global Tech Leader and Innovation Ecosystem Builder Mr. Steve Leonard. In his keynote address, President Dr. Muizzu stated that, “looking ahead, our vision is clear: A Maldives where every citizen, every business, and every institution is digitally empowered. We are building a digital economy that is inclusive, innovative, affordable, and sustainable.”

Furthermore, the President’s remarks reflected the Maldives’ broader strategy of aligning national initiatives with global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, particularly in areas of digital connectivity and innovation. The event’s international speaker, Mr. Steve Leonard highlighted the crucial role of purpose-driven innovation stating that, “The Government can only solve important problems with hard tech built by scientists and engineers. Scientists and engineers can only solve hard problems with supportive Government funding and policies”.

Following the keynote addresses, a discussion was held among an esteemed panel comprising of Minister of Housing, Land, and Urban Development H.E. Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology H.E. Dr. Mohamed Kinaanath leading the National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT), Dean of Centre for Research and Publication of Islamic University of Maldives Dr. Aminath Shafiya Adam, Director at Villa College Mr. Margret Vijay S. and Co-founder of Women in Tech Maldives and Chief Operating Officer at Sparkhub Ms. Aiesha Adnan. The panelists engaged in an in-depth discussion on the potential of digitalization, innovation and technology to effect transformative changes that address key development challenges.

The event also served as a vital platform for exploring how digital technologies can revolutionize key sectors of the economy, emphasizing the importance of inclusive engagement and collaboration to fully leverage the benefits of technology, digitalization and innovation. With inclusive participation by students from different universities and high schools, the event provided inspirational insights for young people on their roles and contributions in attaining an intelligence-driven future.

ENDS

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Aishath Rifga Mohamed, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, phone: 3323400, email: aishath.rifga@foreign.gov.mv

Najma Abdulla, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, phone: 9966167, email: najma.abdulla@un.org