Welcome Remarks by Ms. Catherine Haswell, Resident Coordinator, UN-Maldives at he Human Rights Day Function

Assalamu’alaikum and good afternoon.

I am pleased, together with HRCM President Mariyam Muna, to welcome all of you to our event commemorating Human Rights Day this year.

This year is particularly special as we mark three significant milestones in human rights history, globally as well as in the Maldives, [as mentioned by President Muna]:

75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

20 years of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives

15 years of the National Preventive Mechanism.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or UDHR, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, following the experience of utter horror of the Second World War. It was the first time that the international community agreed on a set of common values, and acknowledged that rights are inherent to every single human being on the planet and not granted by the State.

From the right to education to equal pay, UDHR established for the first time the indivisible and inalienable rights of all humanity. The UDHR fosters a sense of common humanity (equality), which has led to national, regional and international laws and institutions to help realize all rights: economic, social, cultural, civil and political. Human rights remain the fundam-ental framework which establishes that all people, regardless of their nationality or where they live in the world, are equal.

And now, the focus of our collective efforts for prosperity and inclusive development for all, the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development has been grounded in the UDHR, and when adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016, Member States agreed that the 2030 Agenda must be implemented in a manner that realizes human rights for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the 75 years since the proclamation of the UDHR, human rights have advanced across the globe as well as here. The UDHR remains young at heart, and continues to inspire movements for change. We must acknowledge Maldives’ leadership in the Asian region, having ratified eight out of nine key human rights treaties. I take the opportunity here to congratulate the Maldives on the most recent ratification – of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Further, many of Maldives’ laws already reflect human rights values and principles which aim to improve the rights of all in the country – men and women alike, young and older people, those in urban and rural areas, as well as foreigners who contribute to Maldives’ development and economy.

And while we mark Human Rights today here together in the Maldives, we are pleased that Maldives will participate in the Human Rights Day events taking place in Geneva in the next two days. His Excellency Vice-President Hussain Mohamed Latheef will join the opening ceremony as well as the Roundtable on “the Future of Human Rights, Environment and Climate”, tackling crucial yet challenging questions such as which actions have the most potential for bringing our economic and business models into harmony with the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

We particularly look forward to the human rights pledges that Maldives will be committing to as part of this year’s Human Rights Day commemoration, because progress on human rights thus far does not mean that we can stop and enjoy the view. I understand that Maldives have made human rights pledges in five areas:

1. To strengthen efforts in capacity building, education, and consciousness-raising to disseminate a culture of human rights.
2. To continue efforts to strengthen the domestic normative framework with international obligations to which the Maldives is a state party, to improve the states’ treaty reporting capabilities and capacity to follow up on international recommendations.
3. To empower and encourage the equal participation of women and girls, including those belonging to disadvantaged or marginalized groups, in all aspects of political and public life.
4. To fortify efforts to improve implementation of the existing legislative instruments on national child protection mechanisms that enable access to inclusive education for all children.
5. To enhance climate resilience and implement sustainable solutions to counter and mitigate the direct and indirect adverse impacts of climate change on the Maldivian way of life.

We commend the pledges you have made; we – the United Nations in Maldives - stand ready to support you – all State actors as well as national bodies, Government and non-Government – in meeting these commitments.

We will continue, and strengthen, our collaboration with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives, a key and crucial national player in Maldives’ own human rights protection system. The UDHR calls upon everybody to stand up for human rights. We all have a role to play. And we can support and learn from others in our efforts to realise greater freedom and equality for all.

In times of great challenges globally, we must take all steps to ensure that our values and principles survive, and more importantly thrive.  Without this, our goals for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive development will remain just a memory of the past.  

I reassure you of the continued commitment and support of the United Nations to the Maldives in our shared efforts.

Thank you.