UNDP Resident Representative Akiko Fujii pays a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem

Ms Akiko Fujii, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to the Maldives, has paid a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem. The call took place this morning at the President’s Office.

Vice President Faisal Naseem extended a warm welcome to the representative upon her arrival at the President’s Office and discussed areas for further cooperation and addressed issues of mutual significance. Ms Fuji offered her sympathies following Friday’s tragic fire incident in Malé. Updating the representative on the administration’s swift action, the Vice President noted that the administration is speedily directing all relevant authorities to devise mechanisms to ensure prevention of future incidents. 

Speaking about the ongoing Youth Climate Summit in New York, the UNDP Representative emphasised the role of Maldives’ youth in joining the call to climate action and noted that the Maldives could play a guiding role in the international stage to ensure a more “livable planet” for the future. She further applauded the administration’s efforts to strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagement and assured UNDPs commitment to working with the Maldives in issues of mutual concern. 

Stressing that the Maldives is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, the Vice President spoke about the importance of protecting and preserving our fragile ecosystem on which our tourism is heavily dependent. He noted that due to concerted efforts of the administration, relevant authorities and civil societies, awareness on climate change is growing at a fast pace, especially amongst the youth and student populations. 

He further thanked the representative and UNDP for the continued support to the administration and the civil society towards finding solutions to persistent developmental challenges. During the meeting, the representative also presented a copy of “Youth Vulnerability Assessment in the Maldives”—extensive research conducted through the collaborative efforts of the National Counter Terrorism Centre and UNDP Maldives with support from the Government of Japan—to the Vice President.