The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has highlighted the remarkable progress achieved by the Maldives over the years in protecting human rights.
The statement was made by the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Elina Steinerte, during a meeting held with the Foreign Secretary of the Maldives Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed on November 29. The chair-rapporteur is currently undertaking a country visit to the Maldives from November 29 to December 10.
During the meeting, the foreign secretary welcomed the Working Group to the Maldives and expressed gratitude for accepting the government’s standing invitation. the chair-rapporteur took positive note of the fact that the Maldives has made remarkable progress to promote and protect human rights and briefed the foreign secretary concerning issues regarding the Working Group’s mandate on arbitrary detention. The foreign secretary reiterated the commitment of the government to fully cooperate with the Working Group and assured the chair-rapporteur that the Maldives will welcome the recommendations of the Working Group and work closely to implement them.
The Working Group will share their preliminary observations at a press conference on December 9. The Working Group will present its final report on this visit to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2022.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a Special Procedures mandate-holder of the UN Human Rights Council, established by the former Commission on Human Rights in 1991 to investigate instances of alleged arbitrary deprivation of liberty. The mandate of the Working Group has been extended by the commission to cover the issue of administrative custody of asylum-seekers and immigrants.