President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has discussed vaccine equity and the importance of collective action towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic with the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres. The president and UNSG held the discussion during their meeting in New York at the United Nations Headquarters on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
During the meeting, President Solih congratulated Guterres on his re-election and praised him for his exemplary leadership during the global crisis. He also thanked the United Nations (UN) for establishing the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which will provide much-needed assistance to countries all over the world, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
President Solih also gave an overview of the national-level efforts of the Maldives to contain the COVID-19, as well as its priorities for vaccinating the entire resident population. He said the success of the Maldives in containing the spread of COVID-19 has come at a great cost to the economy, as a large proportion of the government's revenue is dedicated to health emergency management.
During the meeting, the UNSG stressed the importance of easing the financial burden on developing countries following the global pandemic. He also said he would support the Maldives in the efforts to rebuild and recover from the effects of COVID-19.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Solih thanked Guterres for taking the time to discuss topics of mutual interest and expressed his gratitude and support for the work the UN is doing in the fight against COVID-19 under his leadership.