Maldives AG, ministers to attend Review of Maldives at UPR Session

Maldives Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath and a few Cabinet Ministers are set to attend the Review of Maldives at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The Review of Maldives at the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review will begin at 6:30pm, local time, (2:30pm Geneva time), virtually.

The session will be held at Palais des Nations, Geneva and Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services, Aishath Mohamed Didi, Minister of Home Affairs, Imran Abdulla and Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail are among the Cabinet Minister to participate in the UPR Session.

Attorney General’s Office (AGO) revealed that Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Asim Ahmed and officials from the Permanent Mission will participate in the session in person.

This is the first time Maldives is being represented by a delegation comprising of several Cabinet Ministers and thus, makes this cycle “uniquely significant”.

The largest mechanism where human rights obligations and responsibilities of the Member States of the United Nations are assessed, UPR takes place once in every four years.

Maldives was reviewed during the first cycle in 2010 and in the second cycle during 2015.

AGO revealed that the session in the third cycle of UPR operates a “hybrid model” of both remote and in-person participation to make sure the precautionary measures and instructions against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, are adhered to.

During the session, the ministers will be delivering thematic interventions on important sectors including the progress achieved, government’s plans in areas of justice and legal sector reform protection of vulnerable groups, reforming law enforcement agencies, freedom of expression and association as well as trafficking of humans and migrant workers.

During Wednesday’s interactive session, countries will be given the opportunity to make remarks on information presented by the Maldives in the ‘National Report’ submitted on February 3 this year, alongside stakeholder reports submitted by civil society and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and findings of UN bodies.

AGO estimates that 98 countries will be making recommendations on the situation of human rights provision in the island nation, and Maldives will be given a deadline until December 14, to reach a decision on positions on the recommendations received at the Session.

Following the session, adoption of the UPR Working Group’s Report on Maldives will be held on November 6.