Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
28 April 2022
His Excellency, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am very pleased to join you this afternoon for the informal High-level Roundtable on “Small States, Multilateralism and International Law.”
Regardless of geographic size, economic clout, or military might, all Member States make an important contribution to meaningful reforms in the global governance framework and processes.
It is only through the primacy of the rule of law, and an international rules-based order, that the global community can move forward in a sustainable way.
My dear Friends,
More than half of the UN membership is small states. This includes my own country, the Maldives.
Our “band of small states” understand the need to balance power and legitimacy in order to affect transformative change.
I am sure that the group would agree with me if I said that one of our messages for modern day diplomacy is this: States can be both small and significant.
The Forum of Small States (FOSS) plays a key role in this regard, especially as it reaches its 30th anniversary this year.
FOSS is positive proof that there is strength in numbers.
Indeed, small states can be both empowered and empowering.
This also means that an effective and inclusive multilateralism is only fulfilled when all voices are heard.
Highly dependent on a rule-based system, many small states firmly uphold and develop international law and principles. This is because the principles that govern our multilateral systems accord equal status and equal opportunities for all states, giving small and big states the same standing on international issues and debates. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that these laws and principles continue to govern international relations.
Small States persistently seek global peace and development, attaching great importance on the issues concerning both big and small nations. Because it is often the smaller States that suffer the most when conflict prevails.
And in the spirit of the United Nations Charter, small states are strongly committed now, more than ever, to steering the world on a better path.
Small states continue to support and work together on UN agenda items to maintain peace and security, ensure economic prosperity, protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, and build back better from the pandemic.
As President of the UN General Assembly, I have made it one of my priorities to strive for the revitalization of the UN. It is my conviction that we need to reinforce the General Assembly as the chief deliberative organ of the United Nations, governed by the principle of sovereign equality, enshrined in the UN Charter, and committed to serving and standing for all member states equally. The General Assembly – the parliament of humanity – is the one place where every State has a voice, and an equal vote.
Dear colleagues,
Tomorrow, we will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A landmark document and a powerful example where states, both small and large, came together to agree to adopt “the constitution of the oceans.”
For a small island nation such as the Maldives, such agreements are absolutely critical.
The challenge is for all of us to continue to work together with greater political will if we are to achieve the UN 2.0, as proposed under Our Common Agenda.
Let me again thank the Government of Singapore for the kind invitation today and for the warm hospitality on my official visit in February.
Please continue your leadership around the issues of small states and to help strengthen this powerful and compelling narrative:
Small states strengthen multilateralism through the primacy of international law.
I wish you all a successful and productive round table.
I thank you.
