HRCM commends government response to water crisis

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) commended the government’s response and relief efforts during the ongoing Malé water crisis in a statement issued yesterday on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

The efforts of various government institutions – under the supervision of President Abdulla Yameen – to provide water to residents of the capital were “praiseworthy,” HRCM Chair Mariyam Azra said.

The HRCM noted that arrangements were made to prioritise persons with special needs, pregnant women, the elderly, and children.

The commission advised taking the human rights of disadvantaged persons into account when formulating government policies, structures, and plans.

Parliament should also ensure the protection of fundamental rights in approving legislation, the statement added, noting that rights could only be restricted or narrowed “only if demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”

Meanwhile, among the commission’s achievements during the past year were conducting a national inquiry into the rights of persons with disabilities and finalising plans to open a regional office in the south.