Maldives to undergo fourth Universal Periodic Review on human rights

Maldives is set to undergo its fourth Universal Periodic Review on human rights at the 50th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which commenced on Monday.

Maldives’ UPR is scheduled for November 5^th, Wednesday, during the session currently proceeding at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The UPR Working Group holds three sessions each year. The Fourth Cycle of the UPR began in November 2022 and is scheduled to conclude in 2027. The UPR is a state-driven process that conducts a thorough assessment of the human rights situation in all UN member states. It provides an opportunity for each country to report on progress in meeting its human rights obligations and commitments, while also enabling peers to offer constructive recommendations for improvement.

Each State review is overseen by a group of three member states, called the “troika,” who act as rapporteurs for the process. 

In the session spanning for two weeks, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s UPR Working Group will examine the human rights records of fourteen States: Andorra, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Honduras, Jamaica, Libya, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Mongolia, Marshall Islands, Panama, and the United States of America.

During this session, the Maldives, as a member of the Human Rights Council, has been selected to serve on the troika for the review of Jamaica.

Foreign Ministry states the review will be an important opportunity for the Maldives to reaffirm its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights through engagement with international mechanisms. 

According to the Ministry, the Maldives delegation will actively participate in the session and provide constructive recommendations to all other states under review, in accordance with the government’s key policies and priorities.

The Maldives delegation to the 50th UPR session is led by Dr. Salma Rasheed, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The team also includes Counselor Adam Hamid, Counselor Aminath Shifaya Ibrahim, Second Secretary Aishath Rayahyn, and Attaché Raaidh Saeedh from the Permanent Mission.

In her role as Vice President of the Human Rights Council, representing the Asia-Pacific Group, Dr. Salma Rasheed will also chair meetings during the UPR session.