Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has said Maldives is leading efforts to secure a seat at the United Nations Security Council for small nations.
During a special interview with Mihaaru News, the minister said that the vetoing power for five major nations is the main obstacle to achieving a reasonable solution to end Israel's attacks on Palestine.
"If we are to say it in English, when a resolution comes to pass, it does not have any strength. Any resolution packing strength gets vetoed," minister Shahid said.
The minister also said that Maldives comes under the category of small nations in the UN, which was simply one-fifth of the membership.
"While the security council's structure is being formulated once again, we have been advocating to designate a specific seat for small nations, that will enhance our voices and concerns," Shahid said.
"Once that happens, we can raise our voice even more for Palestine as well. The small nations will work for it."
The 15-member security council consists of five permanent members and 10 temporary members, with new members appointed for five of these temporary member seats every year.
The council's member states with the power of veto including the United States, China, France, Russia, and UK.
While tensions between Palestine and Israel escalated after Hamas launched attacks on Israel earlier on October 7, Shahid noted that Israel's declaration of war and the following attacks on Palestinian civilians were inhumane with unprecedented levels of injustice.
The minister assured Maldives will not hesitate in its continued efforts to provide a voice for the Palestinian people, and call for the immediate cessation of Israel's attacks.
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