MALDIVES
Statement by H.E Mr. Abdullahi Majeed,
Minister of State for Environment and Energy of the Republic of Maldives
Maldives Voluntary National Review
High Level Political Forum 2017
19 July 2017
H.E. Ambassador Cristian Barros Melet, Vice-President of Economic &
Social Council
Distinguished delegates, colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen:
Ass al a am alaikum varahmatullahi
[morning/afternoon]
vabrakaathoo and good
It gives me great pleasure to present to this august assembly, the first
Voluntary National Review on the implementation of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) in the Maldives.
Without a doubt, the 2030 Agenda is an ambitious agenda, particularly for
a small island developing state such as the Maldives. It is an indivisible
Agenda and it is a testament to the determined political will of the
international community. I wish to assure the global community the
importance Maldives accords to the sustainable development agenda. It is
enshrined in our Constitution, and the Government of Maldives is
committed to mainstreaming the elements of sustainable development in
its plans, policies and strategies.
Mr. Chairman:
M! A
. -:'~~--.
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The Voluntary National Review of Maldives to HLPF 2017 will voice out
the challenges faced by Maldives as a small island developing state, and
the efforts made towards overcoming these challenges through innovation,
strategic long term policies and collaborative decision-making processes.
We recognize that both innovation and participation of various
stakeholders is critical particularly given the cross-cutting nature of the
SDGs.
The implementation process of the 2030 Agenda in the Maldives is built
upon the successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in the country. I am proud to say that Maldives is the first country
in South Asia which attained MDG-plus status. We consider the 2030
Agenda as a continuation of our efforts under MDGs. We remain
committed to consolidate the gains made throughout the MDG process and
intensify our efforts in areas where progress have been slower. In this vein,
additional efforts have to be made in areas such as empowering women,
strengthening mechanisms of good governance and justice, minimizing
economic disparity and sustainable consumption and production in order
to consolidate the gains made in health, education, water and sanitation,
energy, infrastructure, climate change and marine resources.
Maldives has already initiated work and thus far have given keen attention
to promoting a conducive environment for the implementation of the
SDGs, including through the institutionalization of adequate coordination
and governance mechanism.
As such, a National Ministerial Coordination Committee has been formed
to provide policy guidance and feedback from different sectors at a
ministerial level, and to ensure the integration of socio-economic, and
environmental aspects of the Global Goals.
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The technical committee for the SDGs implementation was formed with
representatives from various government offices and state agencies who
will provide technical support, expertise and knowledge from their
respective sectors.
Maldives recognizes the importance of stakeholder engagement and
participation in the substantive realization of SDGs. Therefore, emphasis
has been made on creating awareness and engaging stakeholders
throughout the implementation process. Focused awareness sessions are
planned for the 3rd quarter of 2017 for the general public including
parliamentarians, local councilors, and the judiciary, as well as NGOs.
With the completion of stock taking of available data by the National
Bureau of Statistics, commencing the work of identifying national priorities
is currently in progress. Identification of national priorities for the SDGs
targets will be made through a process of consultations with implementing
agencies as well as input from other development partners. Development
of a monitoring framework is planned for the last quarter of 2017. The
framework will be developed to monitor and report the achievements of
the SDGs targets in the implementation process. The development of this
Framework will, however, require technical assistance and financial
support.
Mr. Chairman:
Given the unique vulnerabilities faced as a low-lying island nation,
Maldives require financial and technical support from its international
development partners. The lack of capacity, necessary equipment and
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modem tools particularly in the area of data collection and management
remain as major hurdles in the implementation process.
Mr. Chairman:
Before I conclude, I would like to once again reaffirm the commitment of
Maldives to the Global Goals and in this respect remain devoted to the
transparent follow-up and review of the implementation process.
Finally, I will conclude with a video presentation depicting the success and
status of sustainable development agenda in the Maldives. It will focus on
the areas of climate change, building resilient infrastructure including the
provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation and energy,
universal health care and education.
I thank you for your attention.
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