Hello from the Maldives!
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ISLAND LIFE - ISSUE 2023
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UNDP Maldives for COP28
Advocating for Climate Justice and Sustainable Finance
UNDP Maldives' engagements for COP28 addressing the pressing challenges faced by SIDS like the Maldives, and the multifaceted efforts we have undertaken to safeguard state financing resilience, advocate for climate justice, and promote sustainable development.
Joint mission to grow actuarial know-how for risk response and sustainable, inclusive insurance development for Maldives under our Maldives Insurance Development Project with the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), aligned with INFF, supported by UNDP's IRFF and Milliman, an independent actuarial consulting firm.
Orienting the Maldivian Private Sector on Opportunities Available in Sustainable Finance: We enter into a partnership with Maldives Stock Exchange to develop the capacity of the Maldivian private sector in sustainable development.
UNDP, Maldives’ Capital Market Development Authority, and the advisory firm PlusValue join forces to support the adoption of a more sustainable and responsible business ecosystem for the Maldives thanks to a Sustainability Reporting Framework
SDG Budget Tagging: We teamed up with Ministry of Finance on a capstone exercise in a broader consultation to tag the national budget against the SDGs.
MALDIVES RREEF PROJECT INCEPTION
Inception of the Maldives Resilient Reef Ecosystem and Economy for the Future Project. A Global Fund for Coral Reefs project in support of initiatives that sustainably contribute to the resilience of Maldivian coral reefs and the communities that depend on them.
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Adapting to Climate-related Uncertainties: solar PV cold storage systems
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Two cold storage systems with solar PV have been successfully installed and are now fully operational in Laamu Gaadhoo, an agricultural island, supported under UNDP Climate Promise Project, generously funded by the Government and People of Japan.
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CLIMATE ACTION WORKSHOP
UNDP Accelerator Labs in the Maldives collaborates with the Fuvahmulah City Council on a workshop which utilizing collective intelligence from the Fuvahmulah community to confront the challenges of the triple plenatry crisis and engage in live mapping to identify and map natural resources and hazards.
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Coral Gardening for Proactive Conservation
A comprehensive Beach Profile study was conducted in the Maaneyre area of Fuvahmulah City, made possible with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) being executed in partnership with the Fuvahmulah City Council by Fuvahmulah Surfing Association. Following this, physical prep work for their coral gardening project has now begun.
Tadamon - CSO Empowerment, a joint initiative by Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Lives and Livelihoods Fund supported by the UNDP, conducted a two-day interactive training program for CSOs to raise funds using crowdfunding for their pitches for the development of their communities/society.
In collaboration with Urbanco, we concluded the 'City Dialogue on Liveability,' a 2-day learning experience that brought together city councils, stakeholders, and like-minded individuals for insightful discussions on Data for SDGs.
Attorney General’s Office Launches the New MVLAW Website: transforming public accessibility to laws of the Maldives, and assisting legal practitioners in improving the efficiency of their legal research.
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First of its Kind Women in Local Governance Forum Held in the Maldives: Local Government Authority (LGA), with the generous support of UK Aid from the British people, held the inaugural 'Ranhiru Dharbaaru' Women in Local Governance Forum in the Maldives, focusing on empowering and promoting inclusivity for women Councillors and members of Women's Development Committee's.
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Advancing Gender Equality
In a concerted effort to foster gender equality and enhance inclusivity, the Ministry of Social and Family Development recently undertook a comprehensive gender audit of the health and judicial sectors. With the generous backing of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, the initiative aims to provide a detailed assessment of the current state of gender-related dynamics within these critical sectors.
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Temporary Special Measures for Gender Equality
Maldives Speech at Launch of UNDP Guidance Note on Launch of Temporary Special Measures for Gender Equality in Public Administration.
Providing a comprehensive exploration of the Maldives Judiciary, the Judiciary for Juniors Programme 2023, aimed at fostering interest and understanding of the judicial sector among young people of the Maldives, was supported by the UK Government, with UK Aid from the British People and in collaboration with Judicial Service Commission and the Department of Judicial Administration.
Strengthening Judicial Excellence: The Maldives Judiciary, with the generous support of the UK Government and UK Aid from the British People, participated in the 'Evolving Justice: ASEAN Judges Conference' - Third Regional Meeting of the Judicial Integrity Network in ASEAN (JINASEAN), which brought together over 400 participants from ASEAN countries and beyond, including Supreme Court Justices, judges, legal experts, government officials, academics, and non-governmental organizations.
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Training Programme for Aspiring Lawyers: The Bar Council of Maldives led the Validation Workshop for the Licensing Training Program, supported by the generous backing of the UK Government and UK Aid from the British People, bringing together stakeholders from the Bar, judiciary, state institutions, law schools, supervisors, and trainees.
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Digitalization and Access to Justice
In a momentous stride toward modernizing judicial processes and facilitating citizen services, the Judicial Administration of the Maldives, in collaboration with the Department of Judicial Administration, with the generous support of the UK Government with UK Aid from the British People, unveiled the Marriage Portal.
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Effective and Sustainable Local Authority Companies: Maldives Institute of Local Governance, Local Government Authority (LGA Maldives) and UNDP Maldives engaged a diverse cohort of 27 participants representing 11 councils, in a Training of Trainers on Local Authority Companies, aiming to empower local leaders and stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive effective and sustainable local authority companies.
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Exploring the transformative journey of Judicial Performance Evaluation in the Maldives
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Community-Based Theatre Series for Civic Engagement: LGA Launches Community-Based Theatre Series in Kulhudhuffushi City. The series, supported by Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) with the generous support of UK Government with UK Aid from the British People, signifies a promising approach to civic engagement, utilizing the power of theatrical expression to facilitate meaningful discussions on public participation in local governance.
Promoting Inclusivity, Equality and Opportunity: Our work highlighted on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
OPINION EDITORIALS
OP-ED: Small-Island Developing States are among the world’s most highly indebted countries. Climate change is an important reason why. This latest op-ed by UNDP's Kanni Wignaraja and ODI's Emily Wilkonson featured in Project Syndicate is a primer on the links and the need for reform.
Op-Ed! Future-Forward Financing: Alternatives to Grant Consumables by Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Maldives, featured in Atoll Times.
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PUBLICATIONS
New Report on Loss and Damage and Climate Litigation: a SIDS Perspective, with Frankfurt School
The 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report - Making our Future: New Directions for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific, argues that unmet aspirations, heightened human insecurity, and a potentially more turbulent future create an urgent need for change.
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Photo credits: Ashwa Faheem/UNDP Maldives | Hussain Yaamin/UNDP Maldives | President's Office | Cover art for Island Life: Courtesy Bank of Maldives, artwork Shimha Shakeeb/ Art by Shimha