By Elishya Perera
MALE, Maldives (CWBN)_The 20th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting was held virtually yesterday (Oct 14). The meeting is usually being held alongside the United Nations General assembly, however, this year, it was held virtually, owing to the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the key subjects of discussion was Commonwealth responses to the pandemic and mutual aid and assistance. Secretary-General, Patricia J. Scotland said, “As a Commonwealth family, we are at a defining moment, witnessing unprecedented disruptions affecting all of our member states. We are seeing health, social, environmental and financial fragility in the unfolding Coronavirus pandemic… bearing in mind that small states are worried about their very existence, with a call from many of our member states, for an overhaul of access to financial support, to help small states facing the perfect storm of Covid-19, climate change and a dramatic fall in tourism”.
Meanwhile, participating for the first time since Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth in 2017, Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, thanked the member states and Secretary-General for their support in ensuring that Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth. The minister stated that within the Commonwealth, the voices of the smaller states are always heard, while he also highlighted the economic impact of the pandemic on these vulnerable states.
Other noteworthy issues discussed included climate change, racism and domestic and sexual violence across the Commonwealth, and the ministers expressed their wish to address these issues further at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Rwanda, in June 2021.
Edited By Chathushka Perera
