The 32nd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has commenced in Geneva with the participation of Maldives.
The two-week session concludes on February 1. In line with the priority the Maldives accords to the United Nations Human Rights Council and its mechanisms, the delegation of Maldives will actively participate at the session of the Universal Periodic Review and will present constructive recommendations to the 14 states that are to be reviewed at the session.
During the first day of the session, Maldives commended the institutional and legislative measures taken by New Zealand to promote and protect the rights of its people. Maldives also recommended adopting climate change related planning and management strategies, including conducting nationwide assessment of climate change risks.
Furthermore, Maldives welcomed the recent ratification of international human rights instruments by Afghanistan and recommended to continue strengthening efforts aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.
The 14 countries to be reviewed at the 32nd session are New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Vietnam, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, and Cambodia.
Maldives is represented at the UPR Session by the Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Dr. Hala Hameed, Deputy Permanent Representative Hawla Ahmed Didi, and First Secretary at Permanent Mission of Maldives to United Nations Office at Geneva Aishath Shahula.
UPR is a process which involves a review of the human rights records of all United Nations member states. UPR is a state-driven process, under the auspices of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each state to declare actions taken to improve the human rights situations in the respective countries and to fulfil the human rights obligations. With the objective to improve human rights situations in all countries, and also addressing violations of human rights wherever they may occur, the UPR mechanism is designed to give equal treatment to every country when their human rights situation is assessed.
The Universal Periodic Review Working Group holds three two-week sessions per year and currently, the UPR is holding its third cycle review of the countries which began on 2017 and will conclude on 2021.
Maldives will be reviewed in April/May 2020 at the 36th Session of the Universal Period Review.