Vice President sets out 2040 development target at Commonwealth summit

Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef told Commonwealth leaders in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on 4 November 2026 that the Maldives intends to become a developed nation by 2040, according to the President's Office.

He was addressing Executive Session II of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

National goals cited

Alongside the 2040 target, he pointed to two nearer milestones:

• 15 per cent of GDP to come from the digital economy by 2030
• renewable sources to supply 33 per cent of the country's energy by 2028

What he asked of the Commonwealth

The Vice President set out three areas he said should guide resilient partnerships among Commonwealth members:

• Capacity that lasts: support that builds durable capability rather than only meeting immediate needs
• Respect for national choices: cooperation that honours national interests and leaves each member state free to chart its own development course
• Deeper collaboration: pooling expertise, offering practical assistance and working on joint answers to challenges ranging from climate resilience to digital transformation