Report: Soodh
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid in his inaugural foreign policy speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has re-assert the Government’s commitment to completing the Reform Agenda on time, and outlined his views on the role of foreign policy, and hail the increasingly close cooperative relationship between the Maldives and international human rights mechanisms.Mr. Shahid’s Statement to the Human Rights Council was his first foreign policy speech as Minister. He informed delegates that this reflects the priority that both he and the Government place on strengthening human rights in the Maldives.
He said that the government believes that socio-economic progress must be supported by a substantial governance framework that respects and protects individual rights and liberties. He said that Human Rights must not only exist, but they must be felt and enjoyed by individuals if society is to evolve in a peaceful and sustainable manner.
Continuing his speech, Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the successful completion of the Reform Agenda, embarked upon by the Government in 2004. He said that the momentum behind reform is now unstoppable and irreversible.
Mr. Shahid also informed the international community of the government’s decision to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations in October.
In response the President of the Council, Ambassador Doru Costea of Romania, welcomed the many positive developments taking place in the Maldives.
Earlier, the Minister met privately with the Council President and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Louise Arbour, to update them on the Reform Agenda and the country’s recent referendum, to discuss progress in strengthening human rights protection in the Maldives and to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation.
Finally, Minister Shahid also met yesterday with the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Anders. B. Johnsson. During the meeting, Mr. Johnsson took the opportunity to brief the Minister on the IPU’s plans to launch a technical assistance programme in the Maldives, in partnership with the People’s Majlis.
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