Remarks by UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Hao Zhang delivered at the Signing Ceremony of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2027-2031

Venue: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Male', Maldives

Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Iruthishaam Adam

Distinguished representatives of the Joint Steering Committee

Senior management and staff of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

My dear colleagues from the UN family,

Good morning and Assalam Alaikum,

Today marks an important milestone in the long-standing partnership between the United Nations and the Maldives. With the signing of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2027-2031, we reaffirm our shared commitment to sustainable development, resilience, and improved well-being for all the people in the Maldives.

This agreement comes at a meaningful moment in our partnership. Over the past year, through the MV60-UN80 initiative, we celebrated six decades of Maldives-UN cooperation and eight decades of the United Nations. Through panel discussions, UN Day celebrations and other commemorative activities, we reflected on our shared achievements and the future we want to build together.

Those conversations reminded us that strong partnerships are built on listening, adapting, and responding to the aspirations of the people we serve. The Cooperation Framework we sign today is the result of that partnership.

Over the past several months, we have undertaken a broad and inclusive consultation process. It began with the evaluation of the current Cooperation Framework and a comprehensive Country Analysis. We then engaged with government ministries and institutions, independent institutions, civil society, development partners, academia, the private sector, and UN colleagues. Their insights helped shape the priorities and outcomes reflected in this framework.

The new Cooperation Framework focuses on three priorities: Human Capital; Resilience and Sustainability; and Governance. These priorities were identified jointly with stakeholders across the Maldives. They reflect national development ambitions and the realities facing Small Island Developing States.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed their time, expertise, and perspectives throughout this process. Your engagement has strengthened this framework and ensured that it reflects national priorities and shared aspirations.

I extend special appreciation to the team at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose leadership and partnership have been instrumental throughout the formulation process. I also thank the members of the Joint Steering Committee for their guidance and stewardship in keeping this framework aligned with the Maldives' development priorities.

I would also like to recognize the leadership, commitment, and partnership demonstrated by the United Nations Country Team, both resident and non-resident. Through the collective efforts, expertise, and shared vision, we have developed a Cooperation Framework that is both ambitious and realistic, firmly grounded in evidence and focused on achieving meaningful results for the people of the Maldives. It demonstrates the strength of a coordinated UN development system with 16 UN agencies, namely, FAO, IFAD, ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNDRR, UNEP, ESCAP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC and WHO that will be working together in support of the Maldives.

Today, we move from signing to implementation. The United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the Maldives on its journey toward sustainable, inclusive and resilient development.

Let us take this moment as the beginning of a new chapter in the enduring partnership between the United Nations and the Maldives.

Thank you. Shukuriyya.