Message by His Excellency Dr Mohamed Waheed, President of the Maldives
Today we celebrate the 48th anniversary of our independence. The historical agreement that the Maldives signed with the United Kingdom on 26 July 1965 in Colombo, granted full independence after a long period of protectorate status with Britain. Since then the Maldives has become one of the lead advocates on several international issues, such as promoting regional cooperation in South Asia, drawing international attention to climate change and environmental degradation, and in promoting human rights and democracy. That decision has also enabled the Maldives to expand and diversify our enduring ties with Sri Lanka, which has since flourished to historic proportions. The Governments of the Maldives and Sri Lanka are working to further enhance the already strong trade, investment, and cultural relations between our two countries.
One of the lasting outcomes of political independence for any country is the freedom for its people to elect and change their government in a free, fair, and competitive environment. The Maldives has a proud history of, and an unshakable commitment to, democracy. Our tiny nation was one of the first countries in South Asia to adopt a written constitution in 1932—some 33 years before the country gained independence. Since then, we continue to strive towards achieving a more perfect system of governance that is deeply embedded in the doctrines of liberal democracy and the rule of law. Today, the Maldives is a dynamic place, filled with political enthusiasm and social progress. In September this year, Maldivians would vote in, what might perhaps be one of the most competitive elections in our history. Political parties are campaigning for their respective candidates amidst a flurry of activism and exercise of fundamental freedoms. The Government is fully committed to ensure that the Presidential Election is free, fair, and inclusive.
Like many other countries that have gone through democratic transitions, the Maldives is also facing significant challenges in its endeavour to consolidate democracy. One advantage that we, the emerging democracies have is that, the advanced democracies, in their own journey towards democracy, would have had to overcome some of the key challenges that we face today. It is therefore imperative that we share and learn lessons in democracy consolidation from their rich experiences. The Maldives remains committed to working closely with our international partners in building institutions and cultivating values in our democratisation process.
The most important arena for forging such a partnership is the UN Human Rights Council. The Maldives is currently a member of the Council, and is seeking re-election this year. We believe that it is profoundly important to cultivate the value of respect for human rights to complement formal statutory measures in promoting human rights. The Maldives would continue to forge a strong partnership with other members of the Council towards attaining an effective and resultsoriented global human rights protection system. It is my strong belief that our international advocacy in promoting human rights would help our national efforts in building a culture of respect for human rights in the Maldives.
On this proud day to mark our 48th anniversary of independence, I wish to extent my profound greetings and best wishes to all Maldivians living in Sri Lanka. May the Almighty Allah brings you happiness and prosperity and, forever, protects the independence and sovereignty of the Maldives.