Parliament of Maldives has approved the Bill on Protection of Whistleblowers. The bill was approved by votes from 70 parliamentarians.
The Bill on Protection of Whistleblowers was drafted based on Transparency International’s International Principles for Whistleblower Legislation and was accepted by the parliament on December 10, 2018. The bill lays down the procedures applicable to reporting wrongdoing, the protection afforded to whistleblowers, the requirements on investigative authorities, and other procedures necessary to instil a culture of transparency and accountability, and to prevent wrongdoings.
Further, a Whistleblower Protection Unit will be established, upon ratification of the bill, to operate independently under Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).