Closing Remarks by Mariyam Midhfa Naeem, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Validation Workshop for the UNSDCF 2027-2031

UN Resident Coordinator, Excellencies, and Colleagues,

Good afternoon to you all.

As we conclude today’s workshop, allow me to thank everyone who contributed to the dialogue that shaped the draft Cooperation Framework before us.

Today’s discussion reflected something important. A shared commitment to ensuring that this Framework is coherent, realistic, and firmly grounded in national priorities.

This framework, at its core, is a statement of intent about the future we are trying to build for the people of the Maldives. And how we choose to get there.

One of the clearest messages emerging from today is that we cannot build a framework for 2031 that stops thinking at 2030.

That gap matters.

Development must not pause when global agendas expire.

What we need is not simply alignment with the SDGs, but a bridge beyond them. Anchored in ABAS. Anchored in the national vision of a developed Maldives by 2040. And Anchored in continuity.

Today’s conversations also reminded us of the importance of the balance in how we present the Maldives.

Yes, the challenges are real. Climate vulnerability, fiscal pressure, and geographic dispersion, these are real challenges.

But that is only part of the story.

The Maldives is also a story of resilience, innovation and leadership. A country advancing in ocean governance, sustainable tourism, and digital transformation.

These strengths matter. And they should be more visible in the way this Framework tells the Maldivian story.

We also heard clearly the importance of precision.

Precision of recognising the diverse realities across our islands and communities, rather than relying on broad generalisations.

Development realities in the Maldives are not uniform. Connectivity, service access and economic opportunities differ.

And our analysis must reflect that complexity with accuracy and nuance.

Only then we can ensure policy responses responsive to people’s lived experiences.

At the same time, there was a strong and shared understanding that ambition must be matched with realism.

We need a financing framework that reflects the structural constraints facing SIDS. This includes debt vulnerabilities, and climate finance access barriers, among others.

But what stood out most today was the spirit in which we discussed these issues.

Constructively. Practically. Forward-looking.

The shared commitment to strengthen it.

And that is exactly what this validation process is meant to achieve.

Because in the end, this Cooperation Framework is not an end in itself.

It is a means to support a stronger, more resilient, more inclusive, and more prosperous future for the people of the Maldives.

So as we conclude today, let us move forward with that shared purpose and with the confidence that this process has made the Framework stronger, more balanced, and better aligned with the realities and ambitions of our country.

Allow me, once again to thank the UN Country Team and all participating institutions for your continued support and engagement throughout this process.

We count on your support as we move from dialogue to implementation, and work together to realise the outcomes of this Cooperation Framework.

I thank you.