The Attorney General’s Office has begun work to bring the relevant changes to the domestic legal regime as an important step to promote and protect human rights.

This was revealed by the Attorney General, Ibrahim Riffath on Wednesday, after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s decision to ratify two key international treaties in regards to human rights which are the "Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" and the "International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance".

As such, the Attorney General revealed that these are “significant steps” in fulfilling the government’s commitment towards the promotion and protection of human rights.

In this regard, the office has since launched efforts to bring about vital changes to the domestic legal regime, in order to give effect to these key instruments of International Human Rights Law.

The decision to ratify the key international treaties was reached after discussions with the cabinet and first needs majlis approval for ratification.

The “Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” facilitates individual ability and that of organizations to submit complaints regarding violations of their rights guaranteed by the main body of the treaty and was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 2008.

The “International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances” was initially signed by the Maldives on February 6, 2007, but the country is yet to ratify it. The UNGA member states adopted the convention into international law on December 20, 2006 and it came into effect on December 23, 2010.