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Some sacrifices necessary to achieve SDGs: Environment Minister

Minister of Environment Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has stated some sacrifices are necessary in the efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing the participants at the United Nations Trade Forum: SDGs and Climate Change held in Geneva, Switzerland, the environment minister stated humans need to let go of certain behaviours deemed undesirable as the global community is working effortlessly to implement the Paris Agreement signed in 2015. The minister stressed the Maldivian economy will be impacted during the transition as Maldivians are heavily reliant on imports and hospitality industry. He further stated attracting foreign investments and decreasing the dependency on a single industry are measures that can be taken to regulate the impacts of the transition on Maldivian economy.

Minister Hussain Rasheed is attending the forum as a special envoy of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih by special invitation from the Secretary General of UNTDC.

United Nations Trade Forum is organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNTDC). The forum that commenced on September 9 will explore the strategies the countries could adopt to tackle climate change, obstacles to achieving SDGs and impacts on economy and trade. The forum is scheduled to conclude on September 13.