Maldives cannot do this alone, says President Yameen in COP21 message

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has pledged his government’s commitment to undertaking all necessary efforts to strengthen the Maldives’ resilience to climate change, but stressed that this cannot be achieved by Maldives alone.

In his message to the 21st session of Conference of the Parties (COP21) which began on Monday in Paris, France, the President said that the event has special meaning for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) - a coalition of low-lying island and coastal nations that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

President Yameen said, “The Maldives believes that climate change poses as the most pressing developmental and security challenge of the 21st century. As one of the world’s lowest lying island nations, our country faces potentially devastating impacts if bold climate action is not taken immediately. While my government is committed to undertaking all necessary efforts to strengthen the Maldives’ resilience to this global phenomenon, we cannot do this alone. Every nation has a role. I am confident that through the engagement of all stakeholders, along with a genuine commitment by world leaders to take decisive climate action, COP21 will succeed in providing a foundation for an ambitious post 2015 climate governance regime.”