Minister Mohamad Maliki bin Osman emphasizes international cooperation and sustainable development at the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Second Minister for Education, Dr. Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, participated in the 23rd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers (COM) meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 11 October 2023.
During the meeting, Minister Maliki emphasized the critical importance of international cooperation and multilateralism. He urged the IORA Member States to collaborate in advancing the sustainable development agenda. Additionally, Minister Maliki reiterated Singapore’s support for Sri Lanka’s IORA Chairmanship.
On the sidelines of the IORA COM meeting, Minister Maliki held bilateral discussions with dignitaries including Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, Tanzania’s Minister of Blue Economy and Fisheries Suleiman Masoud Makame, Mauritius’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade Maneesh Gobin, and the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
In his country statement, Minister Maliki outlined Singapore’s commitment to sustainable development, particularly addressing climate change, digitalization, and the importance of a rules-based multilateral system.
Singapore’s dedication to the sustainable development model was emphasized, along with the presentation of their second Voluntary National Review and the commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Singapore’s proactive role in supporting multilateralism was highlighted. The nation has hosted sustainability-focused events, exchanged experiences with developing countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, and introduced the Sustainability Action Package, focusing on capacity-building in areas such as adaptation and mitigation strategies, carbon markets, and green finance.
Minister Maliki concluded by expressing Singapore’s readiness to collaborate with IORA in building a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future that leaves no one behind.
Source – MFA Singapore
