The Maldives has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the rights of persons with disabilities during the review of its Initial Report before the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The review, held on 20 August in Geneva, examined the country’s progress in implementing obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the Maldives ratified in 2010. The Initial Report, submitted in 2018, covered developments between 2010 and 2018, while the government’s replies to the Committee’s questions were submitted in April 2023.
Attorney General Ahmed Usham, who led the Maldivian delegation, stressed in his opening statement that disability rights are inseparable from human dignity. He said they require equal opportunity, full participation, and the dismantling of barriers that restrict potential. Usham noted that disability is now integrated into national policies across education, health, employment, and social protection, rather than being treated in isolation.
In his concluding remarks, Usham acknowledged challenges that remain but outlined the country’s newly developed National Action Plan on Disability Inclusion as the guiding framework for future progress. He assured the Committee that the Maldives would respond to outstanding questions and take the forthcoming recommendations into account. The Attorney General said, “What matters most is decisive action that translates recommendations into reality, and aspirations into lived experiences.”
The Maldivian delegation also included senior officials from the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education. The Committee is expected to issue its concluding observations and recommendations on 25 August 2025.
