CAT/C/MDV/CO/1 United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Distr.: General 19 December 2018 Original: English Committee against Torture Concluding observations on the initial report of Maldives* 1. The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Maldives (CAT/C/MDV/1) at its 1703rd and 1706th meetings, held on 27 and 28 November 2018 (CAT/C/SR.1703 and CAT/C/SR.1706), and adopted the following concluding observations at its 1717th and 1718th meetings (CAT/C/SR.1717 and CAT/C/SR.1718) held on 6 December 2018. A. Introduction 2. The Committee notes that the delegation of the State party which appeared before it represented a Government that took office on 17 November 2018, only 10 days prior to the review. The Committee notes statements made by members of the delegation that the new Government is committed to undertaking wide-ranging, systemic reforms of the country’s institutions and that responding to past and future acts of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment is one of its top priorities. 3. The Committee welcomes the dialogue with the State party’s delegation and the oral and written statements and replies provided to the concerns raised by the Committee. In light of the statement made by the delegation that the new Government dissociates itself from the State party’s initial report, which was submitted 12 years late, characterizing it as not accurate, truthful or complete, and as the views of the new Government regarding the country’s record in complying with the Convention diverge substantially from those of the previous Government, the Committee welcomes the new Government’s pledge to submit another report to the Committee within six months. B. Positive aspects 4. The Committee welcomes the State party’s accession to and ratification of the following international instruments: (a) Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, on 29 December 2004; (b) Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, on 15 February 2006; (c) Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, on 13 March 2006; (d) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, on 19 September 2006; * Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-fifth session (12 November–7 December 2018). GE.18-22195(E) 

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