Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has stated Maldivians can no longer afford to be complacent about human trafficking as it is an egregious crime against humanity and a violation of human rights.
In a press statement on World Day against Trafficking in Persons, Defence Minister Mariya reiterated her gratitude to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for his staunch commitment and personal attention to furthering the Anti-Human Trafficking cause in the Maldives. In her statement, Minister Mariya noted the Maldives has been upgraded to Tier 2 in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report 2021 earlier this month, after being placed on the watch list based on 2017's precarious performance. The government has undertaken a number of key initiatives including the establishment of an Anti-Trafficking in Persons (Anti-TIP) Office along with the appointment of a director of anti-human trafficking at the Ministry of Defence, she said.
Other key initiatives include the allocation of funds from the state budget for anti-human trafficking activities, the setting-up of a victim shelter in Gulhifalhu, and the ratification of the second amendment to the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, in alignment with the 2000 United Nations TIP Protocol. Minister Mariya said the Anti-TIP Office team is engaged with drafting the Victim Assistance and Shelter Service Regulation and formulating an Anti-TIP Communications Strategy with an emphasis on victim voices.
Additionally, she acknowledged the sustained efforts and commitment of the Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Ali Jaishan Amir and all members of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Steering Committee, its member institutions and partner agencies to implement the Maldives National Anti-Human Trafficking Action Plan. She added that she looks forward to building on the progress the Maldives has achieved on the Anti-Human Trafficking front within a short space of time.