Will broaden efforts to protect migrant rights: Usham

Attorney General Ahmed Usham announced that measures to safeguard migrant rights will be further expanded. 

The Attorney General's Office stated that the UN Committee on the Elimination of National Discrimination held sessions yesterday and the day before in Geneva to review 13th to 15th Periodic Report submitted by Maldives in 2022. 

Speaking at the start of the session, Usham noted that upholding the convention is not only a legal duty of the Maldives but is also tied to constitutional provisions on equality and non-discrimination. 

Usham noted that as Maldives is a nation united by one language and one religion, the convention applies to expatriates working in the country. He accepted that there are challenges, but affirmed that efforts will be broadened to strengthen migrant workers' rights in line with modern progress and ensure their protection. 

The Periodic Report details the Maldives' legislative, administrative and policy initiatives up to 2022 to prevent discrimination and safeguard the rights enshrined in the convention, and documents progress made in implementing prior recommendations of the Committee. 

After the review, the Committee will release its final observations and recommendations, drawing on the State's report and session discussions.