President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has called on the international community to fulfil its climate commitments, reform the global financial system and ensure that political promises are translated into measurable action, as he delivered the Maldives’ National Statement at the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP31.
Addressing world leaders and international partners, President Muizzu outlined three key priorities for stronger collective climate action: finance, reform and implementation. He stressed that developing and climate-vulnerable countries require a fairer international system capable of responding to the growing environmental and economic challenges caused by climate change.
The President said climate finance must be new, additional, predictable and grant-based, particularly for countries that face severe climate risks despite contributing very little to global emissions. He called for the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund, stronger capitalisation of the Adaptation Fund and adequate resources for the Loss and Damage Fund, emphasising that vulnerable nations should not be forced to increase their debt burdens in order to respond to a crisis they did little to create.
President Muizzu also called for meaningful reform of the international financial architecture to better reflect the realities faced by Small Island Developing States. He urged international financial institutions and credit rating agencies to reconsider the way climate and resilience investments are assessed, noting that investments in climate resilience should be recognised as essential investments in long-term economic security and the shared global future rather than treated as financial liabilities.
Highlighting the Maldives’ own climate agenda, the President detailed the Government’s efforts to strengthen food, energy and water security through the strategic use of limited domestic resources and international support. The Government has continued to prioritise climate resilience alongside national development, focusing on measures that protect communities, strengthen essential services and improve the country’s capacity to withstand future climate-related pressures.
The President also highlighted the Maldives’ growing access to international climate finance, including the recent accreditation of the country’s first national direct access entity to the Green Climate Fund. The achievement is particularly significant as it represents the first such accreditation for an Asian Small Island Developing State, strengthening the Maldives’ ability to directly access and implement climate financing for nationally determined priorities.
President Muizzu said the accreditation demonstrates the Maldives’ institutional readiness to manage and deliver international climate finance effectively while supporting projects that respond directly to the country’s development and resilience needs. The progress also strengthens the Government’s efforts to secure greater international support for climate adaptation, sustainable infrastructure and long-term national resilience.
Emphasising that climate ambition must be matched by implementation, the President called for sufficient financing, effective technology transfer and sustained political commitment from the international community. He also advocated for a global system that gives Small Island Developing States greater space to determine their own development pathways based on their national circumstances and priorities.
Concluding his statement, President Muizzu called for justice, responsibility and decisive international action, urging COP31 to demonstrate that multilateral cooperation can deliver meaningful results through the fulfilment of international climate obligations and commitments. His remarks reinforced the Maldives’ continued advocacy for a fairer global climate framework while highlighting the Government’s commitment to strengthening the country’s resilience and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.
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