This year's 'Viavethi Raajje Conference' began on Saturday morning, with 174 participants.

The conference was inaugurated by President Mohamed Solih in Alif Alif Atoll Ukulhas.

'Viavethi' forum is held to seek and provide opportunities to review the existing structures and offer avenues for improvement as well as opportunities for the administration to confer policies to ensure good governance.

The two-day conference will comprise of four sessions with presentations, and discussions on various topics including fiscal and legal autonomy, to formulate land-use plans, the role of WDC's, crime prevention, social welfare, and climate resilience.

All the councils from Baa Atoll till Faafu Atoll, along with the Women's Development Committees are taking part in the conference.

The 'Viavethi' forum in Ukulhas is the first of the forum to be held since President Solih ratified the amendment to the Decentralisation Act on 15 December 2019.