President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has affirmed the government will prioritise upholding and promoting human rights without favour or discrimination as part of its resilience and recovery efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic. The President made the remarks while speaking to commemorate the 2020 International Human Rights Day.
President Solih expressed that this year’s international human rights day falls in the midst of a global pandemic, which has adversely impacted the basic rights of many across the globe. The President said despite the Maldives’ significant progress in human rights since this administration was sworn in, including through policies and legislation strengthening the rights of women and children, improving education and healthcare accessibility, and protecting free expression and political activity, this year has witnessed many basic rights being affected because of the pandemic.
The President emphasised that the government would prioritize equitable treatment for all and upholding the dignity and rights of everyone residing in the Maldives, from citizens to expatriates to tourists, as part of its efforts to recover from the virus. The President also emphasised that despite the challenges of the pandemic, the international community must prioritise respecting basic human rights without favour or discrimination. He highlighted that non-discriminatory principles must extend to bilateral relations as well, especially as hopes for the quick availability of a viable vaccine are renewed, and communities across the globe want assurance that they will not be overlooked in terms of being able to meet their immediate health needs with respect to recovering from the pandemic.
Ending his remarks, the President encouraged the public and civil society to do their utmost to protect and promote human rights, while reiterating that the government will provide full support to these efforts.