The government of Japan has pledged a USD2.5 million grant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the Project for Enhancement of Ability in Maritime Safety and Security in the Maldives.
The grant agreement was signed by the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Takeuchi Midori, and the Regional Representative of UNODC Marco Teixeira. Under the agreement, the government of Japan committed a grant of USD2.5 million to UNODC to provide comprehensive assistance to the government of the Maldives to effectively prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute cases of drug trafficking, crimes in the fisheries sector, and crimes affecting the marine spaces affecting the Maldivian archipelago. It also ensures human rights-based detention of those sentenced under these offences, as well as effectively prevents and counters terrorism and violent extremism by strengthening the resilience of communities and providing comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) support.
The overall objective of the three-year project aims to strengthen knowledge and skills and coordination capacities among criminal justice actors and local stakeholders to tackle root causes driving individuals to engage in illegal conduct at land and sea. It will also increase the efficiency and technical capacity of maritime security to timely identify and respond to threats originating from the maritime domain.
Additionally, the project will consolidate the ability of the criminal justice system in the identification, collection, and handling of drug-related information and items, for the purpose of the establishment of a criminal trial. It will also raise awareness and competencies across relevant government agencies to fairly and effectively prosecute suspects of unlawful conduct linked to the maritime domain, including drug trafficking, crimes in the fisheries sector, and crimes affecting the marine space. It will further improve the capacities of practitioners working with convicted individuals to effectively engage toward the rehabilitation and reintegration of the offenders, coordinating with relevant counterparts and upholding international human rights standards.
The government of Japan stated it remains committed to the enduring friendship with the Maldives and will substantially contribute to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific policy by continuing to work together to advance the prosperity and to ensure the safety and security of the people in both countries.