The Assessment Mission from The Commonwealth team has recollected the enthusiasm and the commitment during their meetings with the various stakeholders in Maldives. The team also reaffirmed Maldives was well on course to satisfy the required due process to re-join The Commonwealth.
The Assessment Mission made the remarks during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Abdulla Shahid. The Assessment Mission is presently visiting Maldives to engage with important domestic stakeholders to assess the application of Maldives to re-join The Commonwealth.
During the meeting held at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male’ City, Minister Shahid reiterated the commitment of Maldives to promote and uphold the ideals of the Commonwealth, including in the promotion of democratic norms and good governance in the country, as well as in strengthening accountability, human rights and transparency. He stated since the new government came into office in November 2018, all efforts have been undertaken to ensure Maldives is able to re-join The Commonwealth at the earliest possible opportunity, including through a fast track process. He expressed hope the Assessment Mission would make positive recommendations to the Secretary-General of The Commonwealth Patricia Scotland in favour of the interest of Maldives in re-joining the 53-country organisation.
Following the formal request made to The Commonwealth by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in December 2018, the organisation first conducted an assessment visit to the Maldives in January 2019, followed by an elections observer mission in April 2019. Minister Shahid had also met with the Secretary-General Patricia Scotland most recently in June 2019, when Maldives submitted the required documents requested by The Commonwealth Secretariat as part of the due process under the Kampala Communique.
The Commonwealth Second Assessment Mission was represented at the meeting by Senior Director, Governance and Peace Directorate of the Commonwealth Secretariat Katalina Saplou, Director-General, Commonwealth Foundation Dr. Anne Gallagher, Advisor for Trade Competitiveness, Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate of The Commonwealth Secretariat Sujeevan Perera and Political Officer for Asia/Europe of the Secretariat Jonathan Cheng,
The Commonwealth Assessment Mission is visiting the Maldives from August 25-29 and have met with a number of domestic and diplomatic stakeholders as part of their assessment into the application presented by Maldives to re-join The Commonwealth.