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Abdulla Shahid

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His Excellency
Abdulla Shahid
NIIV
ޢަބްދުﷲ ޝާހިދު
Shahid in 2023
President of the 76th UN General Assembly
In office
14 September 2021 – 13 September 2022
Preceded byVolkan Bozkır
Succeeded byCsaba Kőrösi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
17 November 2018 – 17 November 2023
PresidentIbrahim Mohamed Solih
Preceded byMohamed Asim
Succeeded byMoosa Zameer
In office
23 August 2007 – 11 November 2008
PresidentMaumoon Abdul Gayyoom
Preceded byAhmed Shaheed
Succeeded byAhmed Shaheed
16th Speaker of the People's Majlis[1]
In office
28 May 2008 – 28 May 2014
PresidentMohamed Nasheed
Mohammed Waheed Hassan
Abdulla Yameen
Preceded byMohamed Shihab
Succeeded byAbdulla Maseeh Mohamed
Member of Parliament
In office
28 May 2014 – 14 November 2018
ConstituencyHenveiru Uthuru
Member of Parliament
for Keyodhoo constituency
In office
28 May 2008 – 28 May 2014
President’s Member to the Special Majlis
President’s Member to the People’s Majlis
Vaavu Atoll Member to the Special Majlis
Executive Secretary to the President
President of the Maldivian Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 February 2024
Preceded byIbrahim Mohamed Solih
Personal details
Born (1962-05-26) 26 May 1962 (age 62)
Malé, Sultanate of the Maldives
Political partyMaldivian Democratic Party[2][3](2013–present)
Other political
affiliations		Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (before 2013)
Children3
Parent(s)Maimoona Wajeeh
Moosa Jameel
Alma materCanberra College of Advanced Education, Australia
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA
Signature

Abdulla Shahid, NIIV (Dhivehi: ޢަބްދުﷲ ޝާހިދު; born 26 May 1962)[4] is a Maldivian politician who served as President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly between 2021 and 2022 and is the current president of the Maldivian Democratic Party.[5][6][7] Shahid is the first Maldivian politician to hold that post. He had served as minister of foreign affairs from 2018 to 2023.[8]

Early life and education

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Shahid joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, then he had his bachelor's degree in political science at the Canberra College of Advanced Education in 1987. In 1990, he was a member of the advisory board of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom until 1994. In the meantime, he took a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in 1991.[4][9]

Career

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Shahid served as the Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives from 2009 to 2014. He was elected as the Speaker of the People’s Majlis on 28 May 2009, the seventeenth holder of the position.[10] He won 42 votes out of 75 votes. Shahid played a key role in the Maldives’ transition to democracy in 2008.[11] Abdulla Shahid is a member of MDP and was the parliament member for Henveiru Uthuru (South Henveiru).[12]

Shahid meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (20 February 2019).

Prior to his role as an MP, Shahid served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1984, eventually becoming director in 1993. In this capacity, he also headed the International Organizations and Conferences Department, representing the Maldives at meetings and international gatherings including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Conference.[13]

Member of Parliament

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In 2000, Shahid was elected as the representative of the Vaavu Atoll constituency and served two terms as the Atoll’s member. Shahid served in the Special Majlis (July 2004 – August 2008) which drafted the new Constitution of the Maldives. In May 2009, in the first multi-party parliamentary elections of the Maldives, Shahid won the Keyodhoo Constituency.[14]

Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Shahid served as minister of foreign affairs from 23 August 2007 to 11 November 2008,[10] in the presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He had been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2005.[15]

On 15 April 2013, Shahid resigned from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party.[3] On 18 April 2013, he announced on Twitter that he had signed up for Maldivian Democratic Party.[16][9]

UN General Assembly President

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On 7 June 2021, Shahid was elected as the 76th President of the United Nations General Assembly with an overwhelming 75 percent majority, with 143 in favour, 48 against, and no abstentions or invalid votes.[17] On 23 December 2021, Shahid tested positive for COVID-19.[18]

Maldivian Democratic Party President

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After the resignation of MDP's president, Mohamed Nasheed, Shahid applied for the post of president.[19] He was the only person to apply and thus became the president.[5]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Past Speakers". People's Majlis. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Speaker Shahid joins MDP". Sun. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Speaker Shahid ends speculation, announces MDP switch". Haveeru Daily. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Honourable Abdulla Shahid, MP and Former Speaker Parliament of the Maldives" (PDF). Inter-Parliamentary Union. 16 November 2014. p. 1.
  5. ^ a b Mohamed, Mariyath (20 February 2024). "As sole candidate, Shahid wins MDP Presidency". The Edition. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  6. ^ "The Cabinet". The President's Office. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Honourable Abdulla Shahid" (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Former Ministers". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  9. ^ a b "His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, MP A Biographical Note". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  10. ^ a b "The Honorable Abdulla Shahid, MP, the Speaker of People's Majlis". People's Majlis. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Opposition members elected to position of Majlis Speaker, Deputy Speaker". Haveeru Daily. Maldives. 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  12. ^ "18th Parliament Members". People's Majlis. Government of the Maldives. 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  13. ^ "PGA Biography". United Nations. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Abdulla Shahid – Minister of Foreign Affairs". Berlin Global. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Abdulla Shahid – Minister of Foreign Affairs". Government of the Maldives. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  16. ^ Shahid, Abdulla [@abdulla_shahid] (18 April 2013). "I believe in the democratic Maldives built in 2008;will not stand by while opportunists & extremists drag our country back.Today, I join MDP" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2024 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Abdulla, Lamya (7 June 2021). "Maldives' FM Abdulla Shahid elected as President of UN General Assembly". The Edition. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  18. ^ "UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid tests positive for COVID-19". The Hindu. PTI. 23 December 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  19. ^ Shahid, Malika (13 February 2024). "Applications open for the post of MDP president". The Edition. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  20. ^ "President confers Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin to PGA of the 76th Session of the UNGA Abdulla Shahid".
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by President of the United Nations General Assembly
2021–2022 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of State Order of precedence of the United States
as President of the United Nations General Assembly
when in session 		Succeeded byas Secretary-General of the United Nations
Preceded byas Secretary-General of the United Nations Order of precedence of the United States
as President of the United Nations General Assembly
when not in session 		Succeeded byas Ambassador to the United States for Palau
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