Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has stated getting a positive result at November's COP26 international climate change conference was a matter of "life or death."
In an interview with Nikkei Asia in his role as the new President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Shahid said it is of great importance that the presidency of the United Nations is going to be held by a small-island developing state, during THE COP26 meeting to be held in Glasgow. He said climate change is not a scientific phenomenon, but an existential issue for the Maldives, adding life or death depends on what is reached through these processes.
Speaking further, Shahid said he will convene a special UN meeting on climate, a last-minute push to raise nationally determined contributions to emissions reduction, as well as USD 100 billion for mitigation and adaptation efforts. He added the political commitment to be able to take the challenge of more ambitious NDCs is number one priority.
The Maldivian foreign minister won the presidency of the 76th session of the UNGA, at the elections held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on June 7, with 143 votes out of a total of 191 votes cast.