President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday announced that the Maldives has signed the declaration in relation to Article 22 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
According to the declaration, the Maldives recognises the competence of the Committee against Torture to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals subject to the jurisdiction of the Maldives, who claim to be victims of a violation by a State Party of the provisions of the aforesaid Convention.
Therefore, the Committee now has the authority to receive complaints of torture and inhuman acts from those within the jurisdiction of the Maldives.
Making this Declaration under Article 22 of CAT is the latest step in the Government’s ongoing efforts to fulfil the recommendations made by the Committee in their Concluding Observations, following the review of the Maldives’ Initial Report in November 2018.
The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.