“Catalysts for Change: Voices from TAP-EDM Partnerships” Series
In the Maldives, short-term technical assistance through the TAP-EDM initiative supported the Ministry of Tourism and Environment in strengthening its climate diplomacy efforts and engaging youth in climate action. With guidance from Canadian experts, government staff and young negotiators gained the skills and confidence needed to participate in international negotiations and inspire the next generation of climate leaders. In this series, project partners reflect on how tailored expertise helped advance their goals. The TAP program is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea International.
Background
The Maldives is one of the most low-lying countries in the world, with more than 80% of its 1,190 islands at less than 1 meter above sea level.1 Impacts of climate change in the Maldives include rising sea levels; coastal flooding and storm surges; and coral reef degradation. In fact, within the next 25 years, much of the country could become uninhabitable.To address these challenges, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE) leads national climate efforts. In 2023, the TAP-EDM project collaborated with the MTE and key Canadian experts, to strengthen climate negotiation capacities. This included the development of a UNFCCC-focused toolkit, delivery of in-person training sessions for government and academic stakeholders, and coaching support for the Maldivian delegation at COP 27.
The TAP-EDM initiative was timely, coinciding with a recent staff transition in MTE’s climate change department, resulting in a young delegation with limited climate diplomacy experience. One of these new negotiators was Thibyan Ibrahim, whose passion to advocate for the Maldives at an international level is being shared with the youth of tomorrow. Thibyan is a director in the Climate Change Department of the MTE, responsible for climate finance and multilateral climate funds. We spoke to Thibyan and asked him to share his story.
Thibyan Ibrahim’s Story
Thibyan, who also represents the Maldives and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) at COPs, shared how TAP-EDM helped the team to better understand negotiation dynamics during a COP, including players, procedures, and tools.
For Thibyan and his team, this support was fundamental: “we have no formal training as negotiators,” he said, “so the support from TAP really provided us with the resources to brush up on our knowledge and skills.” He also noted that he currently has 5 new people on his team, and he will continue to see who can benefit from the training that was developed through TAP-EDM.
As a part of the training provided, the Canadian experts also organized scenario-based exercises, much like a mock CoP, which provided an opportunity for hands-on learning. Thibyan noted that these exercises were quite impactful:
“It was really helpful to visualize how things are,” Thibyan explained. “Participating in a mock setting allowed us to put what we were taught into practice.” These scenario-based exercises provided an opportunity to build confidence for participants and provide the skills and knowledge they needed going into the negotiations.
Building on this foundational training, the ministry began applying the lessons learned from the TAP initiative to its broader youth engagement efforts. Thibyan explained that the MTE has been collaborating with UNICEF since COP 26 to engage with young people and gather their opinions and priorities on climate change in the Maldives. In 2023 and 2024, they used TAP resources to organize a mock COP and training for youth as a part of their engagement with UNICEF. Thibyan expressed that this was a very useful exercise for the group, and it is helping to inspire youth to work in the sector:
“Ï think we were able to really put people in a negotiation mind frame. The great insight I hear from participants was that these young people are now considering pursuing higher education in similar areas as myself or my colleagues so they can potentially work in the space of climate negotiations in the future”.
Inspiring young people to consider careers in climate diplomacy and become advocates for climate action is especially meaningful to Thibyan, as a similar experience was what first set him on his own path. When Thibyan was in primary school, the MTE engaged young people to develop a children’s declaration to the president regarding the Rio Plus 20 conference in 2012. Thibyan was selected to help draft and present this declaration on climate to the President. This was Thibyan’s first ever engagement with the multilateral environmental sphere. “As a student, we don’t necessarily learn about the multilateral or diplomatic aspects of the environment and climate change,” he said.
“That was what really opened my eyes to this work. And that’s something that I wanted to give back. It’s why I’ve been adamant about continuing to work with UNICEF all these years.”
For Thibyan, hearing from youth that they are inspired by this work and interested in pursuing it for their careers is a full circle moment. And for TAP-EDM, playing even a small part in this story shows was an impact a short-term delivery model can have.
Conclusion
The support provided by TAP-EDM’s capacity development efforts has not only helped the team at MTE solidify their skills as climate negotiators but also provided content to further inspire and engage youth in the country. By providing Thibyan and his department with such extensive knowledge and tools related to climate diplomacy and negotiations, they have been able to apply these new skills and share the knowledge more broadly. And by working to actively engage youth in the field of international climate change negotiations, the MTE is helping to empower youth to fight for climate action in the Maldives.