UNICEF rep. praises Maldives on efforts to strengthen children’s rights

Dr Mohamed El-Munir A. Safieldin, the UNICEF Resident Representative to Maldives has congratulated the Maldivian government on the multiple initiatives taken over the past two years to strengthen children’s rights in the island nation.

The UNICEF representative made this remark during a farewell call he paid on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the President’s Office on Wednesday morning.

During the call, Safieldin also praised the government’s spirit of collaboration demonstrated in working with UNICEF and expressed hope that the strong partnership between the Maldives and UNICEF will continue.

Expressing gratitude to Safieldin for all the efforts to protect and promote child rights during his tenure, the president thanked him for the expanded efforts in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and also for UNICEF’s past and ongoing work to assist children in the Maldives, including through projects on child abuse awareness, internet safety for children and child safety as well as nutrition.

Solih stated that Maldives appreciates the “exceptional” leadership Safieldin has shown in overseeing these projects, as the government highly prioritizes protecting and promoting children’s rights.

The Maldivian president expressed keen interest to work with Safieldin’s successor, to build on this progress.

Highlighting the government of Maldives’ efforts to eliminate plastic bottles in schools and for ratifying long overdue legislation such as the Child Rights Act and Juvenile Justice Act which have transformed the child rights protection landscape in the island nation, Safieldin stated that the commitment demonstrated by the Maldivian First Couple towards child rights issues, is commendable.

Further, the UNICEF representative noted that their success would not have been possible without the active support of the Maldivian government, and expressed pride in UNICEF continuing to work with the government of Maldives to progress children’s rights.

During the call, Safieldin also commended the Maldives for its “proactive” and “compassionate” approach in handling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Solih expressed gratitude to Safieldin for being passionate and dedicated towards child rights issues and wished him well on his future endeavors.

Maldives ratified a Child Rights Protection Act, which sets comprehensive standards for protecting children’s rights nationally, in 2019. The Act is in alignment with key international legislation such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to which Maldives acceded to last year. This concluding year, the government has also established an independent Child Rights Ombudsperson’s Office tasked with overseeing government and social compliance with child rights principles and standards.