President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has participated in the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF)-Commonwealth High-Level panel discussion on the sidelines of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
The president was joined at this meeting by the Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, and the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna. The panel discussion, chaired by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, was also attended by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Baroness Patricia Scotland, among other state leaders and dignitaries.
Speaking at the event, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth noted that this was the first high-level dialogue between the 48-member CVF representing 1.2 billion people and the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations representing 2.5 billion people.
Minister Shauna also gave remarks during this high-level meeting, explaining the Maldives' position and priorities in the climate emergency. Addressing the high-level meeting, she said the planet doesn't have room for negotiations and that nations have to agree and start delivering, not 'plan to deliver'. She affirmed that vulnerable countries are committed to resolving the climate crisis because such countries know they will not survive its worst impacts.
The CVF was founded at the initiative of the Government of Maldives prior to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The high-level meeting was held as part of the Commonwealth-for-climate series of events at the Commonwealth Pavilion at COP26.