Maldives reiterates call for recognition of the Palestinian State and to protect the holy sites of Jerusalem at the 2026 UN-OIC Conference on the Question of Jerusalem

The Maldives participated in the 2026 Conference on the Question of Jerusalem held jointly by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the theme, “Jerusalem: The Frontline of Displacement and Annexation and the Key to Just and Lasting Peace.” The Maldives was represented by Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to the OIC Ahmed Sareer.

The Maldives highlighted the plight of the Palestinian people caused by Israel and called for an immediate halt to all attempts by Israel to occupy Palestinian lands – in violation of international law and decisions of the International Court of Justice. He also called for the rights of the Palestinian people to be restored and protected, and for strong, sufficient funding for UNRWA in recognition of its critical, life-saving work. The Maldives further stressed that the legal status and historical and religious significance of the holy sites in Jerusalem can be protected with the end of Israeli occupation and broader recognition of the right of Palestinians to live in a sovereign and independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The CEIRPP was established in 1975 through UN General Assembly Resolution 3376 to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people. The Maldives also attended the 2025 Conference on the Question of Jerusalem organized by the CEIRPP, in cooperation with the OIC, in Senegal, to continue national advocacy efforts on behalf of the Palestinian people and as a member of the OIC.

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