27 June 2014, Geneva;The 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council has concluded today. The Maldives as a member of the council participated actively in the debates and the negotiations on a number of key human rights issues during the session.
The Maldives was in the core group of two key resolutions namely ‘mandate of the Independence of Judges and Lawyers' and ‘The contribution of parliaments to the work of the Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review', which were adopted by consensus. The Maldives co-sponsored 14 resolutions including ‘Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women', ‘Elimination of discrimination against women', ‘Human Rights and Climate Change' and ‘Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking of persons, especially women and children'. The Maldives was in the core-group which led the high level panel, ‘Power of Empowered Women 2014' with the participation of inspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world in a global conversation on equality and women's economic empowerment.
The Maldives engaged in important debates on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, Palestine and the DPRK. During the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, the Maldives condemned all parties of the conflict which had has led to the death of over 160,000 people and displacement of millions of civilians. The Maldives also expressed concern about the systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in North Korea, at the refusal of the Government of North Korea to effectively address the violations in the country, and to immediately ensure that fundamental freedoms and liberties are afforded to its citizens.The Maldives further condemned the gross human rights violation of the rights of Palestinian people and expansion of illegal settlements by Israel, the occupying power.
A total of 40 resolutions were adopted during this session of the UN Human Rights Council and a number of key human rights issues were debated. The Maldives was represented at the session by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Offices in Geneva.
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