VP: Nations should have the freedom to chart their own development paths

Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has stressed the importance of ensuring that international cooperation respects national interests and enables each member state to determine its own development path, while outlining three key priorities for building resilient Commonwealth partnerships.

Addressing Executive Session II of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, the Vice President identified strengthening institutional capacity and empowering people to lead, respecting national objectives and fostering self-reliance, and translating shared challenges into collective action as the three priorities.

He emphasised that cooperation should go beyond addressing immediate needs and focus on building lasting national capacity. He also called for greater collaboration through shared expertise, practical support and joint solutions to common challenges, including climate resilience and digital transformation.

His Excellency Vice President Uz @HucenSembe addresses the Executive Session II of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, proposing three areas of action to build Commonwealth partnerships that lead to resilience: building lasting capacity, respecting national objectives, and turning shared challenges into collective action.

— The President's Office (@presidencymv) November 4, 2026

The Vice President noted that a stronger Commonwealth is one that enables every nation to build on its own strengths.

He reaffirmed the Maldives' ambition to become a developed nation by 2040, highlighting the Government's targets of developing a digital economy that contributes 15 per cent of GDP by 2030 and generating 33 per cent of the country's energy from renewable sources by 2028.

Describing these targets as part of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's vision for a more resilient Maldives, he said the people, particularly young people, are both the driving force and beneficiaries of national development. He emphasised that investing in their skills, knowledge and opportunities is essential to realising this vision.

The Vice President also highlighted how external challenges, including global supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty, continue to constrain countries' ability to invest and achieve long-term development objectives. He underscored the importance of Commonwealth partnerships in supporting national efforts and strengthening resilience against such challenges.