1st June 2011, Geneva;The UN's Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Ms. Gabriela Knaul, today responded to a statement on the judicial sector in the Maldives by saying that, while the independence of the judiciary is crucial in the context of the country's democratic transition, that does not mean that judges, lawyers or prosecutors, or the judiciary itself should be unaccountable or be immune from the law. Due process, accountability, transparency and ethical behaviour are as relevant to the judicial sector as they are to any other part of government.

1st June 2011, Geneva;The Maldives Ambassador to Geneva, H E Ms. Iruthisham Adam has reiterated the Maldives commitment to fight human trafficking. In a statement during the interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Traffickingat the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Maldives Ambassador outlined the challenges faced by the Government and underscored the commitment of the Government to fight trafficking across its border.

31stMay 2011, Geneva;The Maldives today spoke at the UN Human Rights Council to make the case for the immediate establishment and recognition of a Palestinian State. Speaking in the context of the wave of pro-democracy and human rights movements which are sweeping the Middle East and North Africa and are resulting in the establishment of new democratic States, Ambassador Adam reminded the international community "of a people who would dearly like to join the growing community of democratic States, but who are denied that possibility; a people whose rights are violated on a daily basis but who do not have a State to petition for redress; a people who want to live in peace and dignity but who for 60 years have been denied their most basic right of self-determination. I speak of course of the people of Palestine".

30th May 2011, Geneva; The Maldives Permanent Representative to the UN today responded to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the state of human rights around the world by welcoming recent global events which have promoted accountability and justice. She also highlighted the importance of the "Arab Spring" and the march of democracy around the world, while expressing concern at government repression in countries like Yemen and Libya.

30th May 2011, Male';Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Naseem signed a MoU with Bangladesh on "Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Maldives and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Concerning Placement of Manpower".

29th May 2011, Male';The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem, today joined growing calls on President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen to accept and implement the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) terms for his departure from office.

26th May 2011, Male'; The first Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to Turkey H.E. Ms. Iruthisham Adam, has presented her Letter of Credence to the President of Turkey H. E. Mr. Abdullah Gül, in a ceremony accompanied by Military Guard of Honor held at the Presidential Palace in Turkey yesterday.

22 May 2011, Male'; Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem briefed the media about his recent visit to Palestine. During the press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister Naseem spoke on the purpose of his visit, noting that discussions were held between Palestinian leaders to discuss the work being carried out at the international arena to fulfill the long awaited dream of a sovereign Palestinian State. During the Minister's visit he also met with the key Israeli leaders.

20 May 2011, Male';Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem met Israeli President H. E. Mr. Shimon Peres in Jerusalem today. Minister Naseem and President Peres discussed the Middle East peace process as well as the economic and political situations of both countries.

20 May 2011 - The Government of Maldives welcomes the report on Maldives press freedom by the International Federation of Journalists, and reiterates the Government's commitment to upholding the right to freedom of expression. Not only has the Government taken a number of legal steps, through both domestic law and through ratifying core international human rights conventions, to protect the right, but a cursory glance at the current press landscape reveals a wide array of media outlets and of views and opinions, including regular criticism of the Government. For as long as it is in Office, the current Government will never seek to control or to shackle people's freedom to speak their mind - a point recognized by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression after he visited the Maldives.

20th May 2011, Male':H.E Mr. Ali Hussain Didi Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, was invited by Mr. Frank Smeets, Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs of the Province of Limburg (Belgium), to the launch of the Limburg Carbon Neutral policy.

19thMay 2011, Geneva; Following a four year campaign by the Maldives, the Commonwealth this week opened a purpose-built diplomatic facility in Geneva to house Small Island State delegations to the United Nations. The aim of the facility is to provide a cost-efficient option for Small States to maintain a presence in Geneva, the seat of many UN bodies; as well as to encourage closer cooperation between Small Island States which make up around one third of the total UN Membership.

18 May 2011, Male'; The Maldives would work towards the establishment of a sovereign state of Palestine by garnering international support said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Naseem.

11 May 2011, Male'; Minister of Foreign Affairs H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem said based on the Maldivian experience of graduating from the LDC list, it was the economic growth, strength of democratic institutions, economic vulnerability and LDC ownership in the development of initiatives to resolve local challenges that shaped the choices to which an LDC may avail itself and the parameters in which it functions.

10 May 2011:-Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem is currently in Turkey to attend the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs, which began at Istanbul's Lutfi Kirdar Congress Centre yesterday.

6th May 2011, Colombo, Sri Lanka, The Government of Maldives welcomes freedom of expression and lawful assembly in the country, but will not tolerate violence and destruction of public and private property, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem.

05 May 2011, Male',The Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem, today reaffirmed the Government's steadfast and uncompromising commitment to the right to peaceful assembly; but drew a clear distinction between the peaceful and responsible exercise of that right and the political-motivated violence, rioting and destruction of property currently being witnessed in Male. The Minister was speaking following five nights of violence orchestrated by a small group of supporters of former President Gayoom, a man accused by international human rights groups of using his thirty year-long rule to perpetrate widespread human rights violations.

03rd May 2011, Male', While there was no institutional discrimination of women in the Maldives, the challenges they faced was the low level of representation at decision making levels both in the private and public sector and immediate steps by the Government was necessary to address these issues, said Ms. Thilmeeza Hussain, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the Maldives to the United Nations.

01st May 2011, Male', The United Nations Human Rights Council discussed a draft Resolution on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republicon 29 April.

28 April 2011, Thursday- Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Mr. Ahmed Naseem will be attending the nine-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) in London today.