UN signs five year assistance agreement with Maldives

Mansoor Ali said the UN was engaging with the Maldives at a “very critical juncture” when the country is transitioning from Least-Developed-Country (LDC) status to Middle Income status.

“The graduation is not an event but a process,” he explained. “The graduation is a measure how well a country has developed, but middle income status does not necessarily mean there is equity in the country all the time.

“We are in a position where there has been a global economic crisis, and locally there have been a fuel and food crisis, so the graduation process is taking that into account.”

Finance Minister Ali Hashim said the role of the UN in the country post-LDC status was “something we have been discussing for a long time.”

“The UN is going to maintain a presence here in the Maldives even after graduation, because there will be a transition period,” he said, explaining that the international body’s assistance would be crucial in assisting with the establishment of bilateral agreements.

“We will no longer get concessions in the case of foreign loans or preferential treatment in trade agreements,” Hashim said, “but there are some countries that have indicated they are willing to enter into bilateral agreements and provide the country with transitional agreements over 3-5 years. The UN presence will be maintained during this transitional period.”

The UN indicated that it would work “shoulder to shoulder with the government to deliver outcomes”, targeting key areas of health, education, social security and welfare, democratic governance, HIV and substance abuse, climate change and environmental adaptation, and gender equality.

“Our committment [to the Maldives] still remains in your journey to a much more fruitful and democratic Maldives,” Mansoor Ali said.