Work to review the Child Rights Protection Act is set to begin, the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare announced. Ratified on 20 November 2019, the legislation entered into force on 20 February 2020, replacing a statutory framework governing child rights enacted in 1991.
Existing legal provisions require systematic review to determine necessary legislative amendments as seven years pass under the current framework, Zeenaz Adnan, the Minister of State for Health, Family and Welfare, observed on the PSM News programme 'Raajje Miadhu'. "This work will move forward through a sound process," Zeenaz explained, "collaborating with everyone working within this system and utilising the data we have gathered."
The Maldives has submitted its combined sixth and seventh periodic reports under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, State Minister Zeenaz stated, highlighting accession to the Bogotá Call to Action on ending violence against children. Policy formulation to consult children on matters affecting them is underway per Committee on the Rights of the Child recommendations, with a final draft expected by year’s end.
Assessing enforcement records and identifying operational bottlenecks remains essential when reviewing statutory frameworks, Mohamed Naeem, a child protection specialist, argued. "Enforcing a law once it has been enacted proves to be the most difficult task," Naeem cautioned, stressing the need to examine implementation hurdles. The legislation establishes duties across families and institutions to protect vulnerable children.