Ministry of Foreign Affairs marks 84th Anniversary of its establishment

Male’, 22 December 2016

Today marks the 84th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 22 December 1932, the then Sultan of the Maldives appointed the Al Ameer Hassan Fareed Didi as the country’s first Foreign Minister (Wazeerul Kharijiyya). Since then, the Foreign Ministry has undergone numerous structural and name changes. The institutional name was last changed to Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 10 November 1982. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Asim was appointed on 13 July 2016.

The Maldives has assumed a very active role in the international arena through its participation in international organizations, of which particular note should be made of, the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), in which the Maldives is currently the Chair.

Since 2010, the Maldives has been serving as a member of the UN the Human Rights Council. As a leading voice of advocacy for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and spearheading important initiatives in the Council, currently Maldives is serving its second consecutive term at the Council.

The Maldives has also played a key role to gain international recognition of the vulnerability of Small States and continues to actively engage in International forums to promote the protection and security of Small States and advocate for global attention to the effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights. As the Chair of AOSIS since January 2015 the Maldives works with the membership of 44 States and observers, drawn from Africa, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Pacific and South China Sea. Under the Maldives chairmanship, AOSIS played a significant role in shaping international consensus on the 2030 Development Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement, both of which were concluded in 2015.

ENDS