Auditor General of Maldives Mr. Hussain Niyazy,
Representative of the chair of INTOSAI, Ms Manal Mohamed Khairy;
Director General of IDI, Mr Einar Gørrissen;
Representative of UNDESA, Ms Aránzazu Guillán Montero;
Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions.
Excellencies, Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
And a very good morning to you all.
Let me begin by welcoming all our distinguished Heads of SAIs and other international guests participating in the Symposium on “Strengthening the Capacity of Supreme Audit Institutions in Small Island Developing States to Audit the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” and the IDI Global Summit 2026, here in Ukulhas.
As you conclude the SIDS SAIs Symposium and embark on the IDI Global Summit, allow me to express my sincere appreciation to every one of you for your valuable contributions over the past days.
I extend my deepest gratitude to the Auditor General’s Office of the Maldives, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), our development partners, and every participating Supreme Audit Institution for bringing together this group of experts to discuss a subject of utmost importance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
As I understood, your conversations here have gone far beyond technical discussions. They have addressed questions that will define the future of SIDS. How we finance resilience, how we govern responsibly, how we strengthen public trust, and ultimately, how we secure a sustainable future for our people.
These are not merely policy decisions.
They are questions of survival.
Everyone of you here today would agree, for Small Island Developing States like ours, climate change is not a distant projection.
It is a daily reality.
It shapes our economies.
It challenges our infrastructure.
It threatens our coastlines.
And it tests the resilience of our communities.
Yet if climate change is our greatest shared challenge, good governance must become our greatest shared strength.
Today, resilience can no longer be measured solely by the height of our seawalls or the scale of our infrastructure.
True resilience is built upon strong institutions.
It is reflected in responsible fiscal management.
It is strengthened through transparency.
And it is sustained by the confidence that citizens place in their governments.
This is why the work of Supreme Audit Institutions has never been more important.
Around the world, governments are investing unprecedented resources into climate adaptation, infrastructure, digital transformation and social development.
Every dollar entrusted by citizens, and every dollar provided by development partners, must achieve its intended purpose.
Accountability is therefore not an administrative obligation.
It is a strategic national asset.
Strong oversight creates confidence.
Confidence attracts investment.
Investment accelerates development.
And development strengthens resilience.
In this way, accountability becomes an engine of progress.
The thematic discussions have reminded us that sustainable development and fiscal sustainability are inseparable.
Many SIDS face difficult choices between investing in the future while managing debt, responding to emergencies while maintaining long-term stability, and protecting vulnerable communities while preserving economic growth.
These are challenges the Maldives understands well.
Despite significant global economic uncertainty and external pressures, we have remained committed to honouring our financial obligations while continuing to invest in our nation’s future.
This requires discipline.
It requires long-term planning.
And above all, it requires confidence in our institutions.
Our experience reinforces an important lesson:
Economic resilience is not achieved by avoiding challenges.
It is achieved by governing wisely through them.
The future of governance will also be shaped by technology.
Digital transformation offers SIDS an unprecedented opportunity to overcome many of the structural constraints associated with geography, distance and limited capacity.
Maldives 2.0 vision represents our commitment to building a modern, citizen-centred digital state.
We believe technology should not merely digitise government.
It should transform governance itself.
Digital platforms can strengthen transparency.
Data can improve decision-making.
Artificial intelligence can enhance public service delivery.
And digital public infrastructure can deepen trust between governments and citizens.
Technology is therefore not simply an innovation agenda.
It is a governance agenda.
It is a development agenda.
And for many SIDS, it is a resilience agenda.
Distinguished Guests,
For the Maldives, environmental stewardship is not separate from economic development.
It is the foundation upon which our prosperity rests.
Our oceans, coral reefs, fisheries and marine ecosystems are not only treasures of nature.
They are pillars of our national economy.
Protecting our natural capital requires more than environmental commitment.
It requires sound governance, effective implementation and robust public oversight.
Only when these work together can sustainability become lasting prosperity.
As this Symposium now gives way to the IDI Global Summit, I hope that the spirit of collaboration we have built here in the Maldives will continue to grow.
No Small Island Developing State can face today’s challenges alone.
But together, we possess something far greater than our individual capacities.
We possess collective wisdom.
Collective experience.
And collective determination.
By sharing knowledge, strengthening institutions and supporting one another, we multiply our ability to deliver meaningful change for our people.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
SIDS are too often described through the language of vulnerability.
Yet our history tells a different story.
We are nations that have crossed oceans, adapted to changing tides, and built vibrant societies despite extraordinary constraints.
Our greatest strength has never been the size of our land.
It has always been the strength of our people.
The determination of our institutions.
And the courage to act with vision.
If we continue to invest with integrity, strengthen accountability, promote transparency, embrace innovation and work together in genuine partnership, then future generations will inherit not merely more resilient states, but stronger democracies, healthier economies and more hopeful societies.
Let this gathering be remembered not simply as another conference.
Let it be remembered as a moment when Small Island Developing States reaffirmed that good governance is the foundation of sustainable development, that accountability is the currency of trust, and that together we can transform vulnerability into opportunity.
The future will not be defined by the challenges we face.
It will be defined by the choices we make.
May those choices be guided by wisdom.
May they be strengthened by partnership.
And may they leave a legacy worthy of generations that will follow.
Thank you very much.