The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel has called for a more inclusive multilateral system that guarantees a substantial role for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He made the remarks on Sunday while delivering an intervention at the Plenary focused on Amplifying the Voice of Global South, at the 8th Indian Ocean Conference being held in Muscat, Oman.
The conference is held from 16-17 February 2025.
In his remarks, the Minister echoed President Dr Muizzu’s call for a reformed multilateral system, which is reflective and representative. He urged for developing countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to have a greater role in the decision-making processes of the multilateral system. He further called for the establishment of a non-permanent rotating seat for SIDS at the UN Security Council. He also emphasised the need to end the use of veto, and re-orient the Council to capture the new realities of the world, to make it more effective and relevant.
Foreign Minister Dr Khaleel further discussed the challenges and opportunities that are associated with the Maldives’ strategic location in the Indian Ocean. He underscored the importance of a resilient Maldives, and a unified approach to address security threats, including climate crisis, cyberattacks, crimes at sea, among others. He also called for enhanced South-South cooperation in parallel to the bilateral, regional and global efforts, to counter these shared challenges.
The Foreign Minister was joined on the panel by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister for Internal Affairs of Seychelles Errol Fronseka, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh. The panel was moderated by the Former Union Minister of India Suresh Prabhu.
The Indian Ocean Conference, established in 2016, is an annual event, which brings together high-level government officials, private sector representatives, scholars, and experts, to address issues pertaining the peace and security of the region. This year’s conference, the 8th edition, is being held under the theme,” Voyage to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership”.