The United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, has briefed the government on their findings of their visit to the Maldives.

The UN Working Group concluded their visit to Maldives on Thursday.

A briefing session was held for the relevant stakeholders, where the government expressed gratitude to the Working Group for accepting its standing invitation to all human rights’ special procedures mandate holders, to visit the Maldives.

Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, Melissa Upreti expressed gratitude to the Maldivian government for extending the invitation and for the cooperation and support provided to the team throughout their visit.

Thursday’s briefing session saw the Working Group briefing the government representatives, ministries and other relevant stakeholders on the preliminary findings of their visit.

As such the Working Group positively noted the progress achieved by the Maldives in the scope of their work, especially the Gender Equality Act, the government’s positive engagement in the UPR process, the creation of the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up, as well as the formulation of the National Gender Equality Action Plan.

Further, the Working Group went on to note a number of areas that require action on the Maldivian government’s part in order to improve the conditions for women and girls, further.

The Working Group arrived in the Maldives on September 11 and during their visit, they met with a number of panelists including those from the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, the Supreme Court and other significant stakeholders.

They also travelled to some islands including Kulhudhuffushi City in Haa Dhaal atoll, Maduvvari island in Raa atoll, Guraidhoo and Maafushi island in Kaafu atoll.

The Working Group’s final report on this visit will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June next year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the government will make an attempt to deliver on the recommendations and respond to any further queries by the Working Group and other UN bodies.

The UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls is the second special procedures mandate holder of the UN Human Rights Council to visit the island nation in 2022, as such, earlier in the year, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin visited the Maldives in May.

Maldives first extended a standing invitation to all thematic special procedures in 2006 and later reaffirmed this standing invitation in 2019.

Since then, the UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights Karima Bennoune, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Nils Melzer and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has visited the island nation.

Composed of five independent experts of balanced geographical representation, working collectively as a group and producing work in the name of the mandate, the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls is a special procedures mandate holder of the UN Human Rights Council.

It was first established in 2010, on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice.