Maldives to participate in 46th session of UPR Working Group

Maldives is set to participate in the 46th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – underway at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The session, which commenced on Monday, will continue for a period of two weeks, and will conclude on May 10.

During the session, 14 states will undergo the review of their respective human rights records; Afghanistan, Chile, Cambodia, Comoros, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam and Yemen.

The UPR Working Group holds three sessions annually.

The fourth cycle review of the UPR began in November 2022 and will conclude in 2027.

The UPR is a state-driven process which involves a review of the overall situation of human rights of all United Nations (UN) member states.

This UN mechanism provides the states under review with the opportunity to declare the progress made in fulfilling their human rights obligations and commitments in their respective countries. It also allows fellow member states to provide constructive recommendations on how the states under review can further improve the implementation of their human rights obligations. Each state review is further facilitated by groups of three states, known as “troikas”, who serve as rapporteurs.

According to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry on Monday, the Maldives, as a member of the Human Rights Council, has been selected to be represented in the troika for the review of Yemen.

The Maldives’ delegation for the 46th session of the UPR will be led by Dr. Salma Rasheed, Chargé d’affaires at the Permanent Mission of Maldives to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva. She will be accompanied by Counsellor Adam Hamid, Counsellor Uza. Aminath Shifaya Ibrahim, Second Secretary Maryam Fathika Fayaz, and Attaché Raaidh Saeed, from the Permanent Mission.

According to the Foreign Ministry, in line with the government’s key policies and priorities, the Maldives delegation will actively engage and provide constructive recommendations during this UPR session.