Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid has called to eliminate all obstructions to the freedom of press.

The Maldivian Foreign Minister made the statement in his pre-recorded video statement at the Ministerial Roundtable on the Safety of Journalists on the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference 2020.

In his message, Minister Shahid stressed on the pivotal role played by the free press in connecting a diverse and polarized world through continuous discourse. He expressed concern over the repercussions faced by journalists as agents of vibrant and free press, in holding governments accountable and when upholding democratic ideals throughout the world.

Minister Shahid also emphasized the crucial need to protect journalists in the face of increasing threats owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided an overview of the history of press freedom in the Maldives and noted that the culture of impunity and repression against journalists in the Maldives ended abruptly when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed office in 2018.

He attributed the progress achieved in the field of press freedom, to the abolition of the Anti-Defamation Act of 2016, the establishment of the Presidential Commission on Murder and Enforced Disappearances and the re-constitution of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, among other notable initiatives of this administration.

“Our presence here today to defend this very right is a symbolic reminder that the answer to any human dilemma lies within unity and dialogue." Minister Shahid said.