Maldives has decided to contest for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) scheduled for 2022.
A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed the Maldives has now launched a campaign, seeking support from the member states for the bid. Although no announcement has been made regarding a candidate to represent the Maldives, the foreign ministry assured to nominate an individual who will be accepted by the member states.
Meanwhile, the Maldives has also announced its candidature for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2023-2025. Seeking the presidency of the UNGA falls under the foreign policy of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as part of the efforts to enhance connections and influence in the international arena.
The UNGA is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), the only one in which all member nations have equal representation, and the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the organisation. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the UN, appoint the non-permanent members to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), appoint the Secretary-General of the United Nations, receive reports from other parts of the UN, and make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions.