Shahid to be sworn in as UNGA President tonight

Foreign Minster Abdulla Shahid is scheduled to be sworn in as the President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly tonight.

The closing of the 75^th session of the General Assembly is scheduled to be held at 00:00 tonight – Maldivian time – at which President-elect of the 76th session, Shahid, will take his oath.

Immediately following the closing of the 75^th session, the 76^th session will be inaugurated by Shahid – following which he will deliver his first address.

Shahid was elected to the United Nations General Assembly based on the agenda of his ‘Presidency of Hope’ which prioritizes five ‘rays of hope’;

•   Recovering from COVID-19
•   Rebuilding sustainably
•   Responding to the needs of the plant
•   Respecting the rights of all
•   Reforming the United Nations

This is the first time an official from the Maldives has been elected to such a high-ranking position of the United Nations General Assembly.

Maldives will be the sixth nation from SAARC to preside over the General Assembly. Only the Maldives and Nepal had not served in the position so far.