News Desk
BAKU — In a pointed address at the 29th UN Climate Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu criticized global financial priorities, highlighting the disparity between funds directed toward military efforts and those scrutinized for climate adaptation. “As we look around the globe, we see funds flowing freely to wage war but scrutinized when it’s for climate adaptation,” Dr. Muizzu stated, urging delegates to fundamentally rethink international financial systems.
“Vulnerable. This is how the Maldives is often portrayed,” he began, quickly reframing the narrative. “But we are a nation of extraordinary fortitude. We speak not from desperation, but from a belief in the power of collective action.” Dr. Muizzu underscored that the Maldives’ climate advocacy is not driven by fragility but by resilience, leadership, and a longstanding commitment to international cooperation. “Our story is not one of fragility,” he said, adding, “It is a testament to resilience, leadership, and international cooperation.”
Highlighting recent initiatives, Dr. Muizzu shared the Maldives’ steps toward climate resilience, including a new Energy Policy and Roadmap, green initiatives for food security, and the establishment of Special Economic Zones to diversify the economy.
“We will soon unveil our 20-year vision, the blueprint for a sustainable, climate-resilient developed nation by 2040,” he announced, presenting a hopeful outlook for the Maldives’ climate aspirations.
At the heart of his statement was a call for significant climate finance, aligning with COP29’s designation as the “finance COP.” “It is the lack of finance that inhibits our ambitions,” Dr. Muizzu said, asserting that any new climate finance goal must “reflect the true scale of the climate crisis—the need is in trillions, not billions.” He pressed for a finance framework that considers the unique challenges of Small Island Developing States and supports adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage initiatives.
The Maldivian leader called on representatives from developed and developing nations to “reprioritize” and support a finance goal that would channel substantial funding toward climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation efforts. Stressing the need for decisive action, he noted that COP29 — a session focused on addressing climate finance — is the ideal venue to set a new standard.
“We must choose the path that changes lives, not the climate,” he declared, emphasizing that the Maldives delegation is committed to ensuring that a new climate finance target is established at this summit.
The Maldives, like many Small Island Developing States, faces significant challenges due to rising sea levels and extreme weather, underscoring the urgency of Dr. Muizzu’s call. His message aligned with the broader objective of COP29: to secure a more ambitious, reliable funding structure that addresses the unique needs of vulnerable nations grappling with the impacts of climate change.
In closing, Dr. Muizzu expressed the Maldives’ resolve: “Twenty-eight COPs later, emissions still rise, finance falls short, and our hope fades. Let us prove this time it will be different.”
