The Maldives has called on the United Nations (UN) to identify strategies to address emerging issues and challenges related to education, sustainable development, and irregular migration. The remark was made by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN Dr. Ibrahim Zuhuree in a statement delivered at the General Debate of the 56th session of the Commission on Population and Development. The session was on the theme of Population, Education and Sustainable Development.
In his statement, Permanent Representative Zuhuree emphasised the significant progress made by the Maldives towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education, including the attainment of gender parity in all levels of education and the digitalisation of learning environments to encourage hybrid education. He also highlighted the importance of women empowerment through education, which is greatly enabled by the ongoing government initiative of providing free education for undergraduate students. As such, he said that legislative measures coupled with educational opportunities for girls and women have proven to be powerful tools for reducing the likelihood of experiencing harmful practices and gender-based violence.
Additionally, Permanent Representative Zuhuree underscored the challenges and constraints faced by the Maldives as a small island developing state with limited resources and dispersed populations, which inherently increases the associated costs and quality of educational services. He expressed concerns regarding the economic vulnerabilities of the country and called for the identification of strategies to address emerging issues and challenges, including addressing the issue of irregular migration. He also noted the presentation of the second Voluntary National Review of the Maldives at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, and voiced expectations towards fruitful experience sharing and positive engagement to enhance the planning process.
Concluding his statement, Permanent Representative Zuhuree advocated for collective global responsibility for transformative action and reaffirmed the commitment of the Maldives to the 2030 Agenda and pledge to leave no one behind in its implementation.