Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me begin by extending my heartfelt appreciation to the Global Centre for Climate Mobility for extending an invitation to me to attend this, Forum.
It is an honour to join you today.
Climate change is shaping the lives of our people the future of our islands and the development pathways available to our nation.
For the Maldives this conversation is deeply personal.
Climate impacts raise difficult questions about human mobility.
Where can people live safely, and how can communities remain on their islands with dignity and security?
For many countries these may be questions for the future. But, for the Maldives/ these questions need sustainable answers now!
The Maldives continues to pursue a development pathway centered on investments in safer and climate-resilient islands.
We have invested in coastal protection resilient infrastructure and integrated adaptation across sectors enabling communities to prosper despite increasing climate risks.
In doing so we have demonstrated an important principle.
Climate mobility should begin with resilience prevention and expanding opportunities for people to remain safely where they choose.
The island of Hulhumalé is one of the clearest examples of this approach.
Developed on a higher elevation than the rest of the country and as a climate resilient urban centre Hulhumalé represents a long-term investment in adaptation and human security.
It was designed to reduce climate risks while improving access to services creating economic opportunities and bringing communities together under safer and more sustainable conditions.
And now through the development of Ras Male’ we are building on this approach and making significant efforts for the next generation of climate-resilient urban development in the Maldives.
These are not just infrastructure projects. These are investments in security opportunity and hope.
Too often climate mobility is discussed only after communities have already been displaced.
However, for frontline countries like the Maldives the goal must be to act before crisis forces movement.
Our objective must be to expand choices enabling people to remain safely where they are and ensuring that any movement is planned voluntary and dignified.
Excellencies,
The Maldives’ experience shows that solutions are possible and communities can be protected.
However vulnerable countries cannot deliver these solutions on their own.
This is why international cooperation and enhanced climate finance are central to addressing climate mobility.
When adaptation finance is delayed inaccessible or insufficient communities are left with fewer choices.
But when support is predictable accessible and adequate it empowers communities to strengthen resilience protect livelihoods and shape their futures with dignity.
We call on our development partners to scale up concessional and grant-based finance technology transfer capacity-building and investments that respond to the realities of small island economies.
The Maldives remains open to partnerships that help build a climate-resilient future strengthen our economy protect our people and preserve the unique ecosystems upon which we depend.
Excellencies,
Today, the Maldives is pleased to endorse the Climate Mobility Principles and welcomes their role in advancing people-centred rights-based and forward-looking responses to climate mobility.
But principles alone are not enough.
They must be matched by action.
Action that ensures vulnerable countries and communities have the support that they need to build resilient futures.
Let us choose cooperation over division.
Prevention over crisis / and hope over inevitability.
Thank you.