Government of Maldives congratulates Mr. Antonio Guterres on his confirmation as the next Secretary General of the United Nations

13 October 2016, Male’;

The Government of Maldives congratulates and warmly welcomes Mr. Antonio Guterres on his confirmation as the next Secretary General of the United Nations. As a country which looks upon the United Nations as the guarantor of international peace and security, the Maldives stands ready to extend its support and looks forward to working with Mr. Guterres as he gets ready for the assignment as the new Secretary General.

The process for the new Secretary General’s selection has been conducted in an unprecedentedly transparent manner, with the extensive involvement of the General Assembly. The Maldives is therefore assured that Mr. Guterres is the preeminent candidate to lead international conscience forward at a time when international cooperation is needed more than ever. We hope that the momentum built for making the United Nations more transparent, accountable, and coherent in all its functions and activities would gain extra ground under his dynamic leadership.

Mr. Guterres is entering the office at a time where a diverse range of global challenges need to be addressed, including mitigating the impacts of climate change, promoting sustainable development over the next fifteen years and beyond, deescalating and resolving violent conflicts, finding a solution to the refugee crisis, and countering the threat of terrorism and violent extremism around the world.

The Maldives hopes that the inherent economic, environmental, and institutional vulnerabilities that are associated with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Maldives will continue to be given special focus within the United Nations support mechanisms both within the Secretariat and through the implementation of the various substantive processes initiated. In addition to this, to maintain the principle of equity in administrative procedures as well, we wish to see an increase in the representation of SIDS within the institution, especially at higher level positions.

The Maldives wishes Mr. Antonio Guterres goodwill and success as he proceeds in shouldering the enormous challenges during his tenure.