News Desk
New York, —In a scathing address at the United Nations General Assembly, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the first leader from South Asia region to speak at this year’s UNGA, voiced his deep frustration with the global community’s failure to honor its commitments, particularly regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His message was clear: the world is running out of time, and empty promises will no longer suffice.
“We agreed on a Pact for the Future this week,” Muizzu said, “but do we want this document—the Pact—to go the same way as the 2015 SDG commitment?”
His challenge to global leaders was pointed: pledges made almost a decade ago remain unfulfilled, with less than a fifth of the targets on track.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t keep doing this. We can’t keep meeting, talking, pledging, but not doing.”
A Broken System
Muizzu’s critique struck at the heart of international diplomacy, calling out the repeated cycles of summits and declarations that fail to yield action. “We don’t want these days to come back to haunt us—the days when we had a chance but lacked the will,” he said, highlighting the growing disconnect between political rhetoric and tangible outcomes.
For the Maldives, a nation on the frontline of climate change, these failures are not just diplomatic oversights—they are existential threats.
“We don’t have the luxury of time,” Muizzu warned. “The Maldives and many other small nations cannot afford to wait while the world continues to stall.”
A Plea for Leadership
Beyond critiquing global inaction, Muizzu called for accountability, especially from larger, wealthier nations. “It’s time for the wealthy nations and the biggest polluters to make good on their promises,” he declared, urging the global powers to finally step up and lead. For too long, smaller nations like the Maldives have been left bearing the brunt of climate change without adequate support.
“We are tired of being seen as mere recipients of aid,” Muizzu said. “We want action, not just pledges.” His message was direct—it’s time for the global community to move beyond symbolic gestures and into real, actionable solutions.
A Call for Accountability
Muizzu’s speech was a reminder that for many nations, the stakes are too high for further delays. “We need to stop making pledges we don’t intend to keep,” he said, signaling that empty promises no longer hold weight. For the Maldives, which has continuously taken ownership of its development, this isn’t just a matter of diplomacy—it’s about survival.
The world is watching, Muizzu concluded, and it’s time for nations to be judged by their actions, not just their words.
