بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency Sering Modou Njie,
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, His Excellency Hissein Brahim Taha,
Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
The Maldives extends its warm congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on his election as the Secretary- General of OIC. The election of a highly acclaimed statesman from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania speaks well the confidence placed on the country by the OIC Membership, in its invaluable role played to the cause of the Muslim Ummah.
We have no doubt that under his able leadership, the General Secretariat and the overall work of OIC would be further strengthened.
The Maldives wishes to pay a special tribute and its sincere gratitude to His Excellency Hissein Brahim Taha for his wise guidance and counsel in the work of the OIC during a critical phase of the Organization.
Excellencies,
For far too long, the subjugation of Palestine has gone unchecked.
For far too long, we have watched on,
As rights are denied, displacement continues and violence escalates.
The continued suffering of the Palestinian people demands more than expressions of concern. Our words must be translated into coordinated and meaningful action. To alleviate their constant suffering. To bring comfort to their enduring pain of displacement.
How many times must we gather here, in outrage and in sorrow, before we see our commitment translated into action?
It is a hopeful naivety that compels us to expect Israel to halt its genocidal acts in Palestine merely in response to condemnation.
An unjust and misplaced hope, one that has cost tens of thousands of Palestinian lives – men, women and innocent children - since the Nakba of 1948.
Despite our repeated calls for action, Israel continues to intensify its violations against the Palestinian people, targeting civilians and critical infrastructure including healthcare facilities, and restricting humanitarian efforts.
Your Highness, Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates,
Israel has now accelerated its settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian land, deepening the occupation, driving further displacement and seeking to erase the very identity of the Palestinian people — in gross violation of international law.
The inaction of those who have vowed to protect humanity from such crimes is evidence of a collective moral failure.
Inaction is equivalent to complicity, and silence allows these atrocities to continue. This is why we cannot remain idle.
The Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict offers a critical pathway to peace, and the Maldives calls for its full and immediate implementation.
The Maldives strongly condemns the Israeli rejection of the Road Map for completing the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, as endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.
We must ensure that commitments made through international efforts are not undermined. We must not allow this to become yet another unfulfilled promise.
Israel must be held accountable, by every means available to us.
The Maldives has stood with Palestine at every step and will continue to advocate for its rights in every forum.
We will not rest until an independent and sovereign State of Palestine is established on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital — a State in which the Palestinian people can live in peace, dignity and security.
As we gather here, we must reflect on the purpose that first brought us together, a shared commitment to safeguard our Ummah, and to help one another when we most need it.
The Maldives supports a stronger and more effective OIC that can advance real action for the Palestinian people.
We must aim for practical, results-oriented outcomes that are not only heard by the people of Palestine but also felt on the ground.
Excellencies,
For Palestine, the time for political rhetoric alone has passed.
Today I bring to this gathering, the commitment of my Government; the sentiments of every Maldivian; to raise our resolve to realise the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
Let us not leave Palestine with promises, let us leave with progress.
This will not be easy. But it is our collective responsibility; our moral responsibility to honour human rights; territorial integrity and sovereignty of the State of Palestine.
For it is Palestine today, but it may be any one of our own nations tomorrow.
I thank you.