COVID-19 re-empasised the need for multilateralism: Minister Shahid

Minster of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, on Friday, stated that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic re-emphasised the need for multilateralism as "global problems require global effort".

Delivering his remarks on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Maldives signing the United Nations (UN) Charter, Minister Shahid highlighted the importance of international cooperation in solving current challenges, such as climate change and increasing natural disasters.

Nothing that Maldives' journey in multilateralism began in 1965 when it became one of the first small nations to join the UN, Minister Shahid said, "our progress and advancement as a nation owe much to the global environment created by the United Nations".

Shahid described the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as an "unprecedented challenge" that shook societies and brought the entire world to a complete halt, adding that the pandemic emphasised the merits of multilateralism.

"No nation was prepared for this pandemic. It has laid bare the limits of even the largest countries to act alone".

Stressing on the need for global cooperation, solidarity and commitment, the minister urged all member states of the UN to work together to further achieve peace, economic progress and social justice.

"Maldives stands ready to do its part through cooperation, solidarity and trust in multilateralism. Together, we can shape a better future for all of us", he said.

Over the last couple of months, a number of countries as well as private companies and organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) in particular, have extended generous support to Maldives' COVID-19 response.

Maldives continues to receive aid from several countries, including the United States of America (USA), China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, India and Bangladesh, in the form of technical assistance in different sectors, arrangements to conduct testing for COVID-19 across the archipelago and the procurement of various essential supplies.

The island nation presently records a total of 2,277 COVID-19 cases, out of which 419 are active cases, and 1,848 recoveries. So far, Maldives records eight fatalities.

WHO has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 9.7 million people and claimed over 492,000 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, 5.2 million people have recovered.