بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم

His Excellency Honourable Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People's Majlis,

Her Excellency Honourable Valerie Woods, Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the Small Branches Network,

His Excellency Honourable Ahmed Nazim, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalam Alaikum, and a very good morning to you all.

It is a great pleasure to join you today. I extend my sincere appreciation to the People’s Majlis and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the kind invitation. Let me warmly welcome all distinguished delegates to the Maldives.

This workshop is particularly meaningful for us, as it marks the first time that the Maldives has hosted a CPA Small Branches Capacity Building Workshop. It reflects our growing engagement with the CPA and our shared commitment to strengthening parliamentary institutions across small nations.

For small legislatures, platforms such as this are essential. They provide space for meaningful exchange, peer learning, and practical cooperation.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the CPA, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and all partners for their continued support and dedication to this work.

The Maldives places great importance on its longstanding partnership with the Commonwealth and its member states.

We remain firmly committed to strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing accountability, and strengthening parliamentary development.

The focus of this workshop, building strong and independent parliaments, goes to the heart of democratic governance.

A parliament must function with confidence, clear purpose, and independence. Without this, the balance between branches of government can weaken, and public trust can decline. For small countries like ours, these challenges can be more pronounced, with dedicated effort and continuous strengthening.

The discussions over the coming days are therefore highly relevant. Engagement with established governance frameworks, along with exchanges on oversight, scrutiny, and financial accountability, will offer practical insights.

Just as important are the informal discussions, where you can share experiences and build lasting professional connections.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Strong parliaments are not built overnight. They need sustained effort, commitment, and a clear understanding of democratic principles.

They must be able to adapt, to hold governments accountable, and to represent the interests of their people. This workshop is an important step in that process.

I encourage you to engage fully in the sessions ahead and to take back ideas that can be applied in your own institutions.

Let us use this opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to democratic values to institutional integrity, and to the principles that bind us as members of the Commonwealth.

I wish you all productive discussions and a successful workshop.

Thank you.