The United Nations Resident Coordinator to the Maldives, Ms. Catherine Haswell, on Sunday paid a courtesy call on Vice President Faisal Naseem and held discussions on strengthening social sector services in the country. The meeting was held at the President's Office.

During the discussions, the Vice President expressed deep gratitude to the UN Agencies for their support for the Maldives' socio-economic development, climate change, human rights, and democracy, highlighting the generous aid and societal support provided to the Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Vice President and the UN Resident Coordinator discussed matters of common interest, such as concerns over the Maldives' growing mental health challenges following the pandemic and how to better support people with special needs. Other discussion topics included the Maldives' economic activities, tourism, climate change, women's empowerment, and gender equality.

The UN Resident Coordinator reiterated the UN's commitment to collaborating with the government to strengthen the Maldives' social sector, touching on the importance of building resilient communities to better prepare for crisis and improve management and coordination among all the stakeholders.

Concluding the call, the Vice President assured the UN of the administration’s commitment to work diligently with its agencies on core issues of mutual importance.