Abdulla Shahid

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.{{cite web |date=16 November 2014 |title=Honourable Abdulla Shahid, MP and Former Speaker Parliament of the Maldives |url=http://archive.ipu.org/cnl-e/195/shahid.pdf |website=Inter-Parliamentary Union |page=1}}

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.{{cite web |title=The Honorable Abdulla Shahid, MP, the Speaker of People's Majlis |url=http://www.majlis.gov.mv/en/speaker-of-the-majlis/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110212125/http://www.majlis.gov.mv/en/speaker-of-the-majlis/ |archive-date=10 November 2013 |accessdate=28 September 2012 |website=People's Majlis}} He won 42 votes out of 75 votes. Shahid played a key role in the Maldives’ transition to democracy in 2008.{{cite news |date=30 May 2009 |title=Opposition members elected to position of Majlis Speaker, Deputy Speaker |url=http://www.haveeru.com.mv/english/details/26459 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233044/http://www.haveeru.com.mv/english/details/26459 |archivedate=3 March 2016 |accessdate=28 September 2012 |work=Haveeru Daily |location=Maldives}} Abdulla Shahid is a member of MDP and was the parliament member for Henveiru Uthuru (South Henveiru).{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=18th Parliament Members |url=https://majlis.gov.mv/en/18-parliament/members/76 |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=People's Majlis |publisher=Government of the Maldives}}

{{stack|File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With Maldives Foreign Minister Shahid in Washington (32217203517).jpg 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.{{Cite web |date= |title=PGA Biography |url=https://www.un.org/pga/76/about/biography/ |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=United Nations}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Abdulla Shahid – Minister of Foreign Affairs |url=https://www.berlinglobal.org/index.php?maldives |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Berlin Global}}

Shahid served as minister of foreign affairs from 23 August 2007 to 11 November 2008, in the presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He had been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2005.{{Cite web |title=Abdulla Shahid – Minister of Foreign Affairs |url=https://www.gov.mv/en/people/abdulla-shahid |access-date=3 June 2024 |website=Government of the Maldives}}

On 15 April 2013, Shahid resigned from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party. On 18 April 2013, he announced on Twitter that he had signed up for Maldivian Democratic Party.{{Cite tweet |number=324762978698293248 |user=abdulla_shahid |title=I believe in the democratic Maldives built in 2008;will not stand by while opportunists & extremists drag our country back.Today, I join MDP |first=Abdulla |last=Shahid |date=18 April 2013 |access-date=3 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101124833/https://twitter.com/abdulla_shahid/status/324762978698293248 |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, MP A Biographical Note |url=http://foreign.gov.mv/new/tpl/show/content/ashahid |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811101117/http://foreign.gov.mv/new/tpl/show/content/ashahid |archive-date=11 August 2014 |accessdate=28 September 2012 |website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives) }}

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.{{Cite news |last=Abdulla |first=Lamya |date=7 June 2021 |title=Maldives' FM Abdulla Shahid elected as President of UN General Assembly |url=https://edition.mv/sports/22659 |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=The Edition}} On 23 December 2021, Shahid tested positive for COVID-19.{{Cite news |date=23 December 2021 |title=UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid tests positive for COVID-19 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/un-general-assembly-president-abdulla-shahid-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article38020686.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223113717/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/un-general-assembly-president-abdulla-shahid-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article38020686.ece |archive-date=23 December 2021 |access-date=27 December 2021 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |agency=PTI}}

After the resignation of MDP's president, Mohamed Nasheed, Shahid applied for the post of president.{{Cite news |last=Shahid |first=Malika |date=13 February 2024 |title=Applications open for the post of MDP president |url=https://edition.mv/news/31713 |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Edition}} He was the only person to apply and thus became the president.

• {{flag|Maldives}}:
• 60px Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin - 2021{{cite web | url=https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/25399 | title=President confers Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin to PGA of the 76th Session of the UNGA Abdulla Shahid }}
• {{flag|Dominican Republic}}:
• 60px Grand Cross with Silver Breast Star of the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella - 2022
• {{flag|Guatemala}}:
• 60pxGrand Cross of the Order of Antonio José de Irisarri - 2022

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party politicians

Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of the Maldives

Category:Maldivian Muslims

Category:Members of the People's Majlis

Category:People from Malé

Category:Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly

Category:Speakers of the People's Majlis

Category:The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni

Category:University of Canberra alumni

Category:Recipients of the Order of Izzuddin