UN officials or special procedures mandate holders who had previously been denied requests to visit Maldives by the previous administration, are welcome to conduct their assessment visits now, says Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
Officials of the UN Human Rights Council were denied requests to conduct assessment visits to Maldives, during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.
FM Shahid addressed a letter to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet in response to a letter by her, reiterating the commitment of the current government in working to promote and protect human rights of all Maldivians.
He further expressed the government’s commitment to work closely with international human rights mechanisms, urging mandate holders of the council to visit the Maldives.
In his response, FM Shahid assured that the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as all special procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Emphasizing that Maldives had already written to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) as well as the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) as part of President Solih’s first 100-day pledges,
Minister Shahid had given his assurance that the country had reiterated the standing invitation it previously extended to UN Human Rights Council officials, including thematic special rapporteurs and intendent experts.
The Ministry revealed on Wednesday that FM Shahid is scheduled to visit Geneva later in February to join the high-level 40th session of the Human Rights Council.
It is notable that President Solih’s government has prioritized human rights as a key pillar of the country’s foreign relations engagements since its inauguration in November 2018.
