Maldives Calls for Accessible Climate Financing for Small States

The Maldives has urged international partners to deliver on climate pledges by providing small states with predictable, long-term, and affordable financing to drive local implementation.

Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam delivered the appeal yesterday while co-chairing the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, alongside the host nation’s Foreign Minister E.P. Chet Greene ahead of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

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Addressing the forum, Minister Iruthisham pressed for deeper cooperation with international financial institutions, development partners, and the private sector to scale up capital investment in climate resilience, energy transition, trade, debt sustainability, and digital transformation.

The Minister emphasised pairing direct financial access with practical, on-the-ground support to help small nations convert international pledges into domestic programmes. She called for stronger advocacy through existing frameworks, particularly the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS), while highlighting the necessity of scaling up proven domestic initiatives, reinforcing technical assistance, and retaining local expertise to secure lasting developmental gains.

Outlining the administration’s diplomatic approach, Minister Iruthisham stated that international partnerships must honour national sovereignty and local priorities, adhering to the Maldives First Foreign Policy. She added that Commonwealth-wide collaboration should be steered by clear benchmarks, measurable progress, and mutual accountability.

Equitable representation in international governance featured as a central point of her address. Highlighting the Maldives’ bids for the United Nations Human Rights Council (2028–2030 term) and the United Nations Security Council (2033–2034 term), she underlined the critical need for small states to hold a direct voice in global decision-making bodies.

The meeting concluded with discussions centred on expanding strategic investments to fortify small state resilience. Ministers Iruthisham and Greene delivered the session’s opening and closing remarks, with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivering a special address and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey also addressing the delegates.