Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Dunya Maumoon has said that “upgrading the Maldives to Tier 2 level in the Trafficking in Persons Report is a vindication of the Government’s policies on stopping human trafficking in the Maldives”. The Minister made the remarks in response to the decision by the United States to upgrade the Maldives to “Tier 2” level from last year’s “Tier 2 Watch List” in the 2014 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report prepared by the US State Department. The Report was released by United States Secretary of State Mr John Kerry today at a ceremony held at the State Department. The Maldives Ambassador to the United States, Mr Ahmed Sareer also attended the ceremony.
The Minister further said that “the decision by the authors of the Report to elevate the Maldives’ position is one further indication of the strong acceptance there is for the President’s policies’. The Minister also recognized the vital role that the People’s Majlis played in enacting the necessary legislations to combat human trafficking in the Maldives. The Minister said that the Maldives would study the recommendations contained in the Report and emphasized the importance of fully implementing the Government’s strategic action plan on human trafficking in the Maldives.
The Minister also emphasized the pivotal role that the Foreign Ministry has been playing in raising awareness about human trafficking, and in working with national and international stakeholders in tackling the issue. The Foreign Ministry, under the leadership of the then Foreign Minister, the late Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah, launched a ‘blue-ribbon campaign” in January 2013 aimed at raising awareness on the issue.
