The Maldives has secured a seat on the bureau of the United Nations General Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee for the first time after being elected Vice-Chair of the committee for the Assembly's 81st Session.

The election was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, with the Maldives elected unanimously to the position. The country will be represented by Hussain Azhaan Mohamed Hussain, Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the Maldives to the United Nations.

The appointment places the Maldives among the leadership of one of the UN General Assembly's six main committees, which is responsible for deliberations on global economic growth, sustainable development and international financial matters. The bureau oversees the conduct of committee proceedings and helps guide its work throughout the session.

The Maldives will serve on the committee's bureau from September 2026 to September 2027, working alongside the Chair and other bureau members during the 81st Session of the General Assembly.

The election comes as the Maldives continues to advocate for issues affecting Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including sustainable development, climate resilience and reforms to international development financing mechanisms. The Government has also increased its engagement in multilateral forums in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.