Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Asim Ahmed has revealed the Maldives won a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) seat for the 2023-2025 term in a competitive election, unlike previous years. He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with PSM News on the areas where the Maldives will mainly advocate in the upcoming sessions of the UNHRC.
In his exclusive interview, Asim said winning a seat for the 2023-2025 term of UNHRC is a further step forward in the efforts of the Maldives to uphold and promote human rights and democratic principles. Noting the Maldives has been represented on the council twice previously, Asim said the victory of this year is special and notable in many ways, unlike the previous two times. He remarked the Maldives previously was not elected to the seat in a competitive election, but it was rather a clean slate. He said, however, the seat this year was won in a competitive election which proves the momentum of the Maldives has improved in the international sphere.
Furthermore, Asim noted the victory in the election symbolises the recognition of the efforts in the international arena and the success of President Ibrahim Mohamed Salih's strong foreign policy as well as his efforts to strengthen international relations without isolation. He noted that the Maldives had served as an observer on the UNHRC before being elected to the council.
Highlighting climate hazards are linked to the survival of island nations such as the Maldives, Asim said one of the most important areas in which the Maldives will advocate in the UNHRC is to advocate for human rights violations of small island nations linked to issues such as climate change.
The Maldives won its seat on the UNHRC in a secret ballot held at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The election saw 17 countries competing for 14 vacant seats. The membership for the UNHRC is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are allotted among regional groups. The Maldives competed in the Group of Asia-Pacific States, for one of the four vacant seats. The Maldives won the seat with 154 votes, out of a total of 189 votes cast. Along with the Maldives, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan also won seats for the Group of Asia-Pacific States. The new members will start their terms on January 1, 2023.