UN General Assembly
2013

biodiversity will result in catastrophic consequences for the Maldives. Those are facts, but we have known those facts for a long time. What we need now is action. Our inaction speaks louder than words. As a nation, Maldives has witnessed the trials of graduation from LDC status without due consideration for the inherent vulnerabilities of small island nations. Simply having a high gross national income or a high standing in the human development index does not make SIDS less vulnerable to external shocks, including emerging threats such as climate change; nor does it remove the difficulties associated with their smallness and remoteness, and in achieving economies of scale. The Maldives is a perfect example of a SIDS graduating from LDC status based on distorted data and geographically disassociated global aggregates and indices. Even upon graduation, our country continues to face numerous economic, social and climate-change challenges. That must be a lesson to learn from as we develop the post-2015 development agenda. SIDS require differential treatment because of their unique inherent vulnerabilities. That is why the