Germany provides MRF 6 mil. to strengthen the justice system in Maldives

German Ambassador: “Without Justice, there can be no Democracy!”

MALÉ, May 24 - The Federal Republic of Germany will provide 6 million rufiyaa (€ 330579) over the next two years to expand the Access to Justice (A2J) Project in Maldives.

“The government welcomes this assistance from the German government to strengthen the justice sector. This is yet another example of the German government’s longstanding commitment to assist the Maldives, especially in consolidating democracy.”

“We hope this project can strengthen the justice sector in the Maldives. And in so doing, mature our young democracy and build public trust and confidence in the justice sector” said President Office, Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair.

Maldives has made significant progress in strengthening its democratic institutions with the broad range of constitutional reforms brought about in 2008 and the multi-party elections that followed.

“Without Justice, there can be no vibrant democracy. This simple but fundamental truth is at the core of Germany’s commitment to and support for the Access to Justice Programme” said Jens Plötner, the Ambassador of Germany to Sri Lanka and Maldives. “Germany is convinced that strengthening and further professionalizing the legal system in Maldives is an essential contribution to consolidating this young democracy.  Having equal access to well-trained judges and legal counsels upholding Law in a Spirit of Independence is important if people are to trust the institutions of their state.”

The A2J project aims to strengthen the justice sector by increasing public confidence in an independent judiciary, reducing barriers to accessing justice especially in the outer islands and addressing the issue of lack of legal representation. This would be achieved by training personnel in the justice system and by increasing awareness about legal rights among marginalised groups like women, children and the elderly.

Speaking at the ceremony, Zindu Salih, UNDP’s Assistant Resident Representative – Governance, said that with the constitutional guarantees for a host of human rights and freedoms, there is a parallel need to set up strong systems that could safeguard and deliver these rights and create a fair, equal and just nation.

“Public confidence and trust in the justice sector and other institutions can be strengthened through demonstrating commitment to internal integrity and values and reinforcing strong mechanisms for transparency and accountability,” she added.

The new phase funded by Germany, titled “Strengthening Democracy through Access to Justice”, will be implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Government of Maldives, justice sector institutions, including the Attorney General Office, Prosecutor General Office, Ministry of Home Affairs the Judiciary and the Faculty of Sharia’h and Law.