Maldives elected as next chair of AOSIS

Maldives has been elected as the next Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

The decision was announced yesterday at the Ministerial Meeting of AOSIS in Seychelles, with votes in favour from 37 countries.

Speaking at a press conference held to announce this decision at the Ministry of Environment and Energy today, Minister of Environment and Energy Thorig Ibrahim noted that this election is great progress for the Maldives in terms of its international presence.

“Next year we will celebrate 50 years of independence. To mark this, as a result of this election, we can ratify agreements on climate change and promote the rights of small states,” said Thorig.

The Maldives spearheaded the efforts to form AOSIS, following the first ever Small States Conference held in the Maldives in November 1989.

In the past 25 years, the Maldives, through national, regional, and international efforts, has undertaken several initiatives and been an agent of change on a wide variety of issues related to climate change and environmental degradation.

Maldives’ election as Chair of AOSIS will be effective from 1 January 2015.