Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Asim is attending the High-Level Segment of the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which opened in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.
The Minister addressed the High-Level Segment of the Session Monday afternoon.
In his speech, Minister highlighted the efforts being made by the Maldives to promote the values and principles that underpin the international human rights mechanisms.
“The approach that the Maldives has taken in protecting human rights is through the empowerment of its people: creating opportunities; helping the people to help themselves lead dignified lives. It was this belief that helped to propel the Maldives to reach to a new paradigm of development -- human development -- that places the rights of the individual at the center of development,” he said. “In 1971, the Maldives was one of the 20 poorest nations of the world. Today, the Maldives is a middle-income country with a per capita income over 8,000 US dollars.”
Minister Asim further said: “President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom continues to, and places great emphasis on human rights protection and promotion through human development. Providing free medical care to the entire population, providing free education to ensure that no child is left behind, and caring for the elderly and the vulnerable are some of our highly successful achievements.”
During this visit, Minister Asim will also meet with other high level dignitaries who are in Geneva for the session which and will continue for 4 weeks.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Maldives will continue to play an active role in the debates, panels, side-events, and negotiations on several key human rights issues during the session. The Maldives along with a core group of other states, will be leading the negotiations on resolutions regarding the fifth-year anniversary of the voluntary trust fund for technical assistance and capacity-building for LDCs and SIDS and on Environment and Human rights.
“The Maldives will also co-sponsor and participate in a High-Level Panel discussion on the human rights challenges faced by individuals suffering from thalassaemia, including unfair and discriminatory treatment,” said the statement. “Among other things, the Maldives and Australia will jointly co-host a reception to welcome delegates participating in the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council with the support of the SIDS/LDCs Trust Fund on 28 February 2017.”
“In line with its core priorities at the UN Human Rights Council, the Maldives will also co-sponsor several other resolutions, including those on political rights, economic, as well as social and cultural rights. The Maldives will also actively participate at the negotiations on resolutions on combatting religious intolerance, rights of persons with disabilities, rights of the child, among other resolutions, which are part of the Maldives priorities at the Council,” the Ministry said.
The Maldives is currently on a mandatory break from the Council in 2017, after two consecutive terms as a voting member.