President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has today appointed Niumaath Shafeeg as the new Child Rights Ombudsperson, in accordance with Article 113 of the Child Rights Protection Act.

She was presented with her letter of appointment by President at a special ceremony held this morning at the President's Office.

As an experienced child rights advocate, Ms. Shafeeg has worked for many years to promote the welfare and interests of children. She previously served as the UNICEF National Consultant for the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and as an Education Development Officer Coordinator for the National Institute of Education.

Further, she worked as a part-time lecturer at Villa College, Maldives National University (MNU) and Islamic University of Maldives (IUM). She continues to volunteer as Chief Commissioner of the Maldives’ Girl Guides’ Association.

Maldivian Parliament approved her for the position on 20 July 2020 with the vote of 70 of the 72 MPs in attendance.

The Child Rights Ombudsperson's Office will be based in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives. The Ombudsperson’s duties will include overseeing all matters related to children’s rights and welfare, and assessing government compliance with the provisions of the Child Rights Protection Act.