The people of Maldives will continue to fight for the full recognition of Palestine as an independent state, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The president made this remark during his General Debate Statement at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on Tuesday.

Highlighting that the government and people of the Maldives stand firmly and resiliently with the people of Palestine, President Solih stressed that they are yet to be served justice, despite the decades of efforts from the United Nations.

Stressing on the continued violation of the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine in alarmingly increasing manners, the Maldivian president stated that generations of educated youth world wide are standing up for the rights of the Palestinian people.

Solih noted that these generations of youth are standing up in protest of the unjust and inhumane treatment of the people of Palestine and added that the rights of Palestine remain “minimal or non-existent” despite the many resolutions of both the UN General Assembly as well as the Security Council.

President Solih expressed his desire to extend the privilege of being “fully recognized” by the UN and their individual liberties protected, to millions of the people across Palestine, on behalf of the people of Maldives.

He went on to express desire to observe a fully recognized state of Palestine with all the benefits and opportunities that membership confers.

Further, the president also expressed concern over the long-term peace and stability of Afghanistan, as a neighbor of the wider South Asia region.

As the Head of State of a small country, I am able to stand here and speak to you all today because my country is recognized as a state. What has the world got to lose by fully recognizing Palestine as an independent State?

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Maldives.

President Solih added that he believes the UN still offers the best hope for humanity and the organization still represents the “pinnacle of what concerted diplomacy can achieve and continues to embody the hopes of all, irrespective of status, class or gender, who believe in peaceful dialogue to solve global problems”.

Solih stated that UN is the most important global platform for deleiberation and decision-making to solve the world’s most important challenges, from “famine to pandemics, to terrorism”.