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Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam has been appointed co-chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States, highlighting the Maldives’ priorities on climate finance and international representation.
Mariyam Adheela
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda: Maldives Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam has been appointed co-chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States, alongside Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, E.P. Chet Greene.
The meeting was held in Saint John’s on the sidelines of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), under the theme “Scaling Up Partnerships and Investment for Resilient Small States”.
Minister Adam presided over the meeting and delivered its opening and closing remarks. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered a special address, while Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey also addressed participants.
In her remarks, Adam called for stronger mechanisms, including the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS), to secure long-term, affordable and predictable financing for small island nations.
She highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships with international financial institutions and the private sector to support investment in climate action, energy transitions, trade and debt sustainability. She also stressed the importance of securing the resources needed to fulfil climate commitments and advancing digital transformation.
The foreign minister reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to its “Maldives First” foreign policy, emphasising relationships based on respect for national sovereignty and the priorities of individual countries.
She also underscored the importance of ensuring that small states are represented in international decision-making forums.
In this context, Adam highlighted the Maldives’ candidacies for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2028–2030 term and the United Nations Security Council for the 2033–2034 term.
