Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel has affirmed that the biggest challenge to multilateralism is the rise of nationalism, racial and religious prejudices that are harnessed by populist authoritarianism. These ideologies seek to suppress the noble principles on which the United Nations was founded upon and thrived for the last seven decades.
Speaking at the High-Level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, State Minister Khaleel stressed multilateralism is in the DNA of Maldivians and that the very first foreign policy decision that the country took, following its independence in 1965, was to join the United Nations.
Furthermore, the state minister congratulated the President of the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the President and the people of Maldives for organising this important meeting to mark the first International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
The meeting convened by President of the United Nations General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa was organised in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 73/127 on the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
As emphasised in the resolution, the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace is an endorsement of the United Nations Charter and its principles. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations.