The Maldives to Partake in the 43rd Session of the UPR Working Group
The Maldives will participate in the 43rd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which commenced at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 1st May 2023. The UPR Working Group hosts three sessions every year and this session will continue for a period of two weeks till 12th May 2023. The Fourth Cycle review of the UPR was initiated in November 2022 and will conclude in 2027.
The Maldivian delegation participating in this session of the UPR will present constructive recommendations to all 14 states that will be reviewed in the following two weeks. The Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Offices in Geneva, His Excellency Dr. Asim Ahmed will chair some of the reviews held at the session under his capacity as the Vice President of the Human Rights Council.
Dr. Asim Ahmed will also be leading the Maldives delegation for the 43rd Session of the UPR. He will be accompanied by Hawla Ahmed Didi, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Maldives Mission, Hassan Hussain Shihab, Counsellor of the Maldives Mission, Aminath Shifaya Ibrahim, Counsellor of the Maldives Mission and Maryam Fathika Fayaz, Second Secretary of the Maldives Mission.
The UPR is a state-driven process which evaluates and reviews the human rights record of all UN Member States. The States reviewed in the session will have the opportunity to declare actions taken to improve the human rights situation in their respective homelands. Likewise, Member States will be allowed to provide commendations for these actions and propose recommendations on how States under review can further achieve their human rights obligations.
Each State review is assisted by groups of three States called ‘troikas’ who function as rapporteurs. The Maldives as a member of the Human Rights Council has been selected to be represented in the Troika for the review of the Kingdom of Tonga. Due to its mechanism, the UPR ensures that fair and equal treatment is given to each country when their human rights situation is assessed, serving the greater objective of improving human rights conditions around the world.