President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the United Nations must remain an organization where the rights of all states are respected, every nation’s voice is heard and no country’s future is determined by another’s power.

President Muizzu made the remarks in a message yesterday marking the 81st anniversary of the United Nations.

He said the Maldives’ freedom to determine its own future must be matched by the means to achieve its national ambitions, with international cooperation helping the country invest in its people, strengthen its economy and build resilience against external challenges.

He reiterated the Maldives’ ambition to achieve developed-country status by 2040, saying cooperation was essential to realizing that goal.

President Muizzu said the credibility of the United Nations depended on trust and accountability, which could be strengthened through respect for international law, consistency between principles and actions, and the fulfilment of commitments.

“Yet, rising geopolitical tensions, selective application of international law and the struggle to keep pace with the changing world are testing that trust,” the President’s Office quoted him as saying.

He said the human cost of these divisions was particularly evident in Palestine. He also highlighted how unsustainable debt and unequal access to finance and technology constrained development and resilience in Small Island Developing States.

President Muizzu concluded by reaffirming the Maldives’ commitment to working with the international community to defend peace, uphold justice and ensure every state has the freedom to shape its own future.