Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Khaleel delivered a strongly worded address at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, calling the refusal to recognise Palestinians as equal human beings “the shame of the century.”
Khaleel condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, accusing powerful states of enabling the devastation through continued arms supplies and financial backing. Citing UN figures, he said more than 66,000 civilians—most of them women and children—have been killed, describing harrowing scenes of families starving, mothers clutching lifeless infants, and children staring at the rubble of their destroyed homes.
“Israel has wilfully, shamefully, and repeatedly violated international law,” he told the assembly, pointing to defiance of Security Council resolutions, the International Court of Justice, and even sanctions against the International Criminal Court.
The Foreign Minister warned against the use of famine as a weapon of war, adding that Israeli strikes beyond Gaza—including in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, and even Qatar—show how borders are disregarded “when power speaks louder than law.”
Khaleel used the platform to caution that the international order is being eroded along three key lines: the taboo against conquest, respect for sovereignty, and the principle of multilateralism. Each, he said, is under assault as powerful states redraw boundaries and bypass international institutions.
“If this erosion continues, the question will no longer be whether it will happen again, but who will be the next victim,” he warned.
Urging reforms to the multilateral system, Khaleel called the 80th UNGA a “repair moment” for global governance. He pressed for an expanded, more representative Security Council—including a rotating seat for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—with greater transparency and accountability.
“We need a Council that does not hide under the threat of veto,” he stressed. He also urged the UN to break historic barriers, noting that in eight decades the organisation has never appointed a female Secretary-General.
Turning to climate and development challenges, the minister said major emitters are deepening the global climate emergency while small nations are shackled by external debt, leaving little room for resilience, health, or education spending.
He called for faster and fairer restructuring of the financial system, expanded concessional finance for SIDS, and climate funding that is predictable and tailored to adaptation. Khaleel also welcomed the upcoming entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement and highlighted the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda as a roadmap for small states’ prosperity.
On domestic policy, he described Maldives 2.0 as the country’s blueprint for transformation, aimed at modernising governance, digitising services, and fostering inclusive growth. He said the government is moving to ban vaping and tobacco products for future generations, scale up mental health services, and prepare for an ageing population, while simultaneously investing in youth empowerment through training, renewable energy, and ocean conservation.
The Maldives International Financial Centre, he added, will be central to positioning the country as a hub for investment and innovation.
Concluding his speech, Khaleel drew a line between rebuilding the global rules-based order or surrendering to a future where “might makes right.” In such a world, he said, small nations will be the first victims.
“At UN80, let us restore the taboo against conquest. Let us renew respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Let us revitalise multilateralism—not as a talk shop, but as a system that acts with courage, clarity, and conviction. If the rules stand, the small can stand. And if the small can stand, all of us will stand taller,” he declared.
