Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid on Wednesday met with members of the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The meeting with the UN delegation, led by Chief of Rule of Law Division of OHCHR Mona Rishwami, focused on the importance placed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration in improving democratic principles, as well as promoting and protecting human rights in the country to form an important pillar of new foreign policy.
Additionally, recent positive developments in Maldives in the fields of democracy and human rights were discussed, where Minister Shahid emphasized the significance of renewed cooperation and engagement between OHCHR and the Maldives.
Moreover, Minister Shahid expressed the eagerness of the Maldivian government in facilitating visits of UN Bodies and Special Procedures Mandate Holders to Maldives.
The aim of the visit by the UN delegation was to acquire updates on the State Party reports to the treaty bodies, as well as engagement with special procedures and the UN Human Rights Council and to assess how OHCHR can assist the government and relevant authorities. This includes the recently established Presidential Commissions on Murders and Enforced Disappearances and Prisons Audit Commission and Detention facilities.
A Human Rights Advisor would be based in Maldives by OHCHR in order to advise and assist President Solih’s administration in fulfilling its human right obligations.
UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives Shoko Noda and Associate Expert at OHCHR Chiaki Ota also participated in the discussion.
The delegation is currently on an official visit to Maldives, which is scheduled to conclude on March 7.
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