Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has assured the commitment of the administration in upholding, promoting and protecting human rights. The minister made the statement during the meeting held with the Chief of Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch of the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Mona Rishmawi, today.
During the meeting which was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, Minister Shahid briefed the UN delegate on the recent advancements Maldives had achieved since the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came into power in November 2018. Minister Shahid emphasised the commitment of the administration to uphold, promote and protect human rights has never been stronger, and referred to a number of initiatives taken by the administration during the past year.
The foreign minister explained Maldives had reiterated its Standing Invitation to UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders to visit the country, and had the pleasure of hosting two Special Rapporteurs in June 2019 and in November 2019 respectively. He also mentioned that Maldives had agreed to the individual complaints’ procedure under Article 22 of the Convention Against Torture, and is presently in the process of compiling the national report for the upcoming Universal Period Review of the Maldives scheduled to be held in May 2020 during the Human Rights Council session.
Focusing on domestic advancements, Minister Shahid briefed the delegation that Maldives had ratified the Child Rights Protection Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and had adopted amendments to the Decentralisation Act, allocating a third of the seats to female candidates. He, however, mentioned that a number of areas need urgent intervention, including building capacity and human resources, and assisting Maldives with its international human rights obligations and reporting mechanisms.
Ms. Rishmawi, who last visited Maldives in March 2019, commended the efforts undertaken by the government, and mentioned that the Maldives stood out as an example in the international community. During her visit this month, she met a number of key interlocutors and also conducted a visit to Maafushi Prison.
Ms. Rishmawi was accompanied to the meeting by the new UN Senior Human Rights Advisor in the Maldives Susanne Pederson, Human Rights Officer at OHCHR Raghu Menon and the National Human Rights Officer Fathimath Ibrahim Didi.