New Delhi | Fragmentation and unilateralism in climate change negotiations, and delays in meeting targets has eroded confidence and weakened the world's ability to respond to global warming, according to Maldives Minister of State, Tourism and Environment, Muaviyath Mohmed.
"For Maldives, multilateralism is not an abstract ideal, but a matter of survival. It is a low-lying country, with more than 99 per cent of the territory comprising oceans. The sea levels could rise by a metre by the end of this century, which can have economic and social impact," Mohmed said on Thursday in his address at the on-going World Sustainable Development Summit organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
The minister also noted that the Global North, which had contributed the most to the global emissions, should shoulder responsibility, while the most vulnerable such as small island nations, should be given access to climate finance.
Mohmed's comments come at a time when the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis have been undermined, especially after the United States last month withdrew from 66 international organisations and conventions with its most significant exit, from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
According to Mohmed, without reforming the current structure of existing institutions, re-energising multilateralism would be tough.
"We must reform institutions. Many of the global governance structures were established in a different era, and must be able to reflect the realities of the 21st Century. Decision making must be inclusive and representative, providing meaningful voice and influence for developing countries," he said.
Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, also underlined the significance of climate multilateralism, saying even children know that no country can solve the issue of global warming alone.
"We do not criticise a particular country for leaving institutions… We do criticise when a country puts pressure on other countries… At IMO (International Maritime Organisation), a majority of countries agreed that we needed to decarbonise our shipping lanes. But the agreement was under attack by one particular country. This we cannot accept," he said.
Flasbarth was referring to the negotiations at IMO in October 2025, where countries postponed plans to force shipowners to start paying for the damage they do to the climate under intense pressure from US President Donald Trump's government.
The failure of global institutions to propel collective climate action was also noted by Mattias Frumerie, Sweden's head of delegation of UNFCCC.
"The outcomes of the past few COPs (Conference of Parties) have been disappointing… To revitalise climate multilateralism, we aim to strengthen action on other platforms as well," he said.
