Human Rights
The Maldives has become a very strong advocate for the promotion and protection of human rights following the democratic transition in 2008. At the United Nations, the Maldives has since then called for all countries to adhere to their obligations under international law, and to respect fundamental freedoms and rights. In 2005, the Maldives became one of the promoters of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture after having earlier acceded to the Convention. The Maldives is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its optional protocol. In April 2006, the Maldives issued a standing invitation to all special procedures mandates of the UN human rights machinery to visit to the Maldives.
The Maldives was elected to the Human Rights Council in 2010 for the term 2010-2013, in which it has actively supported and contributed to the promotion and protection of human rights for all. It has co-sponsored a number of resolution establishing United Nations Special Mandates, and supported resolutions on improving human rights situation in the Middle East during the Arab Spring, namely on investigating human rights violations in Libya and Syria.
Maldives has especially close relations with India and Sri Lanka, countries with which it shares much culture.
Read more about this topic: Foreign Relations Of The Maldives
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