Free and vibrant press holds governments accountable, fosters strong ideals: FM

A free and vibrant press holds governments accountable and fosters strong democratic ideals.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid said this in his pre-recorded statement at the Ministerial Roundtable on the Safety of Journalists on the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference 2020.

The event was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Stef Blok, and produced an outcome document - The Hague Commitment - that emphasized on the need to address the importance of the safety of journalists and media workers.

Minister Shahid stressed on the “pivotal role played by the free press in connecting a diverse and polarised world through continuous discourse” during his statement, adding that “a free and vibrant press holds governments accountable and it also fosters strong democratic ideals”.

He also expressed concern over the various challenges faced by journalists worldwide, emphasizing that the need for the protection of journalists “has become more crucial than ever”.

Further noting that Maldives is no stranger to press freedom challenges, Shahid said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assuming office in November 2018 “paved the way to end a culture of repression and impunity against journalists”.

One of President Solih’s first acts as president upon assuming office was to repeal the Anti-Defamation Act and formed a presidential inquiry commission, the “Commission on Deaths and Enforced Disappearances”, tasked with investigating unresolved murders and disappearances, such as the murder case of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

Minister Shahid further reiterated that freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental human right recognized throughout the course of history.