The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Ms Dunya Maumoon has called for reinvigorated efforts by small states in addressing the issue of climate change and in promoting human rights.  Ms Maumoon made the call during her statement at the conference held yesterday in Iceland, Reykjavik entitled “Small State – Emerging Power? The Larger Role of Smaller States in the 21st Century”.  The Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland and the University of Iceland. 

Ms Maumoon used her statement to outline the increasingly assertive role played by Maldives in the international arena.  Her address with the title “The role of Maldives in promoting Human Rights and Environmental Advocacy” focused on the Human Dimension initiative and the linkage between climate change and human rights. The Deputy Minister noted the work under-taken by President Gayoom over the past 20 years.  She noted that as the President had noted at his address at the Royal Commonwealth Society in July 2007, international action had been far short of the rhetoric because the world saw climate change in terms of figures and graphs.  She argued that the Maldives believed that a greater moral and ethical imperative for action would be possible if there was added focus on the human impact of climate change on lives, livelihoods and communities. This was the reasoning behind the resolution led by Maldives at the Human Rights Council which called for a study of the inter-linkages between climate change and human rights. The Deputy Minister clearly demonstrated that despite the small size, Maldives voice on the Climate issue was clearly being heard the world over. 

Referring to the successful adoption by consensus of the Climate Resolution, the Deputy Minister noted “this success of the Resolution and the wide-ranging and increasingly important debate it has launched on a rights-based approach to climate change among States, international organisations, NGOs and academia; demonstrates the ability of the Maldives and other Small States to couple attributes such as moral weight, determination, organisation, and a belief in multilateralism to make a real difference on issues of global importance”.

In closing the Deputy Minister noted that while Small States may face challenges, particularly related to vulnerability and lack of resources; yet they also possess many unique strengths that when applied in a concerted and dedicated manner, can help not only to solve their own problems, but also problems of world-wide importance. 

The Conference was opened this afternoon by His Excellency Mr Olafur Ragnar Grimsson the President of Iceland.  Deputy Minister Maumoon, who was one of the panellists, was joined by distinguished speakers from Academia and the Diplomatic Corp.  These included Mr Colin Keating, Executive Director of the Security Council Report, Ms Rehn Minister of State and Former UN Under-Secretary General, Dr Casa Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Brookings Institution and Former Vice President of Costa Rica and H. E. Dr Angus Friday, Permanent Representative of Granada to the UN and Chair of AOSIS. 
 
Ms Maumoon and Dr Angus Friday also took part in the discussions that followed which focused on the topic of whether small states can choose their own size in the international community. The closing remarks were given by H. E. Mrs Igibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland.  Mrs Gisladottir in her closing noted with specific reference to the Deputy Minister’s address that “the world community does not have the right to damage the environment thereby destroying the viability of life on the islands for future generations”. 
 
The Deputy Minister is accompanied by Mr. Ahmed Sareer, Charge d’Affaires of the Maldives Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

END.