President establishes Office of the Territories to define Maldives’ boundaries and resolve disputes

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday established an agency called the Office of the Territories of Maldives to determine the territories of Maldives and resolve disputes related to the country’s territorial claims.

The purpose of establishing the agency is to define the territories of Maldives and to handle all matters and issues relating to the country’s territorial boundaries.

The President’s Office has announced the functions of the agency. They are:

•  To take the lead in resolving disputes related to Maldives’ territory with relevant agencies and international bodies;

•  To determine the coordinates of the official baselines and boundary limits of the territory;

•  And to provide boundary maps and associated information.

The President’s Office said the necessary arrangements and staffing are being made to begin the agency’s work.

The President announced the establishment of an office for the territories of Maldives in his Presidential Statement on February 5.

He said this while noting that he would not abandon efforts to recover the lost area of the country, a commitment he made a year ago.

At a 14‑hour press conference on May 3 last year, the President said he had already stated that he would work to recover the abandoned part of the sea area. However, the work has been very difficult and painful to date, he said.

So far, he said, he has sought the help and advice of foreign experts.

At the same time, the Maldivian government said in late March that it did not accept the UK’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and was seeking to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

After years of disputes between the UK and Mauritius over ownership of Chagos, the UK decided last year to transfer the islands to Mauritius. The decision was strongly criticised by former US President Donald Trump, though he later agreed to proceed with it.

However, the President has previously spoken about the Chagos issue in interviews with British and American newspapers. In an interview with a British newspaper, he said Maldives is the most deserving country to receive Chagos.

Speaking to Newsweek, the President said that if Maldives gains Chagos, an agreement would be signed to continue operating the US headquarters in Diego Garcia.

Mauritius took ownership of Chagos after the UK was taken to the International Court of Justice. A year later, in February 2019, the court ruled that sovereignty over Chagos would remain with Mauritius.

Subsequently, Mauritius went to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to separate the disputed waters between Maldives and Mauritius.

This government came to power with a promise to regain the sea area that Maldives lost. His Presidential Statement said the Government of Maldives does not accept any change to the territories defined in the Constitution and the laws of Maldives. He said he would propose to include 200 nautical miles of sea area in the law.