9 November, 2005 Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation & Representatives of Maldives Travel Industry of Maldives to host “Maldivian Night”

Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Republic of Maldives, Hon. Dr. Mahamood Shougee and the Representatives of the Tourism Industry of Maldives will be hosting an exclusive “Maldivian Night” on the 15th November 2005 at the Le Meridian Piccadilly in London.

“Maldivian Night” is expected to bring together leaders of the tourism industry of Maldives, and their counterparts in the travel sector abroad who will be attending this year World Travel Market (WTM), scheduled to take place at London ExCel Centre from 14-17 November 2005.

World Travel Market, staged annually in London will provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business, and to offers the latest developments in the travel industry.

The United Kingdom has emerged to be the number one tourist generating market for Maldives this year after overtaking Italy.

15 November, 2005 High Commissioner Sobir participates in the Remembrance Day Service

The annual service of remembrance in London was led by Her Majesty the Queen to pay tributes to the service personnel who have died while serving their country.

The service was held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday, 13 November 2005.

High Commissioner of Maldives to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr. Hassan Sobir was among the Diplomats who observed a two-minute silence before laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.

Remembrance Sunday services honor all those killed in conflicts since the first World War.

16 November, 2005 High Commissioner addressed the International Seminar, - “Global Warming Ocean Blues, Tourism at Peril”

High Commissioner Hassan Sobir Chaired the seminar of the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association meeting on “Global Warming Ocean Blues, Tourism at Peril”.

He also highlighted that Global Warming and Climate Change are real and not some scientific myth and noted the fact that this is a global problem and needs a global solution or face the consequences. Maldives may be in the front line of danger but changing weather patterns and frequent natural disasters will wreak havoc as well before sea level rise. We have to learn to live in harmony with nature he stressed.

Dr. Mahamood Shougee, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation also spoke on this subject at the gathering which was organized in connection with this year’s World Travel Market, London.

17 November, 2005 Maldives – the Winner of three Country Awards at the World Travel Awards 2005

The 12th World Travel Awards were held in London on November 13, 2005 to coincide with World Travel Market. Trophies for the awards were given out at a gala ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House, which was broadcast globally by BBC World and the Arab Travel Channel, where the 500 guests enjoyed the performances by Cirque de Soleil.

Results announced at the Awards ceremony were one of the world's most comprehensive travel trade polls of its kind, with the addition of new categories for business and first class products.

The polls came from a total of 156, 000 travel agencies and professionals in over 200 countries worldwide who interfaces with travellers on a day-to-day basis and had voted for their leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels, personalities and companies around the world.

Maldives is the winner of the following awards:

Maldives' Leading Hotel
One&Only Kanuhura

Maldives' Leading Resort
Coco Palm Resort & Spa

Maldives' Leading Spa Resort
Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa


It was also announced that Indian Ocean’s leading Airport is the Male’ International Airport, Maldives.

The High Commission extends congratulations and best wishes to the management and staff of the resorts.

21 November, 2005 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed calls on the Constitutional Assembly to incorporate fully international human rights standards into the new Constitution

Expressing solid support to the 31-point Constitutional reform proposals submitted by President Gayoom to the People’s Special Majlis (the Constitutional Assembly), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, today called on members to ensure that the new Constitution was fully compliant with the standards set by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Shaheed was addressing the Special Majlis where, under Article 24 of the Rules of Procedure, members were discussing broad principles that should be enshrined in the new Constitution.

“The only democracy worthy of its name is a liberal democracy”, Shaheed said. “A Constitution that is being formulated in the beginning of the 21st Century must pass the test of meeting the standards set by the International Bill of Rights”, he added.

“The new Constitution must also conform to the values expressed by the Commonwealth leaders in the Harare Declaration of 1991 and the Aso Rock Declaration of 2003”, Shaheed said.

Citing the rapid demographic changes that the country was undergoing, Shaheed called on members to devise a Constitutional framework that will focus on inclusion, compromise and moderation, and called for devising an electoral system that would produce coalition rather than majoritarian Governments.

Shaheed also called upon members to expedite the work of the Constitutional Assembly, and noted that the Assembly had some catching up to do with the reform initiatives that were being introduced by the Government by the use of executive decree.

The measures that have been undertaken by executive decree, to fast-track the reform agenda even before the revision of the Constitution is completed, include the setting up of a Judicial Service Commission to ensure the independence of judiciary, the introduction of a multi-party political system, and the initial establishment of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, which now has statutory backing. Executive authority is also being used to create and encourage a more liberal press and to widen the scope for peaceful dissent.

The People’s Special Majlis was convened by President Gayoom in July 2004 to revise the Constitution to ensure the establishment of a mature democracy. The President’s programme for a mature democracy was submitted to the People’s Majlis on 14 February 2005.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

25 November, 2005 Ambassador Sobir meets EU stakeholders in Brussels

Ambassador of Maldives to European Union, His Excellency Mr. Hassan Sobir visited Brussels on 22-23 November 2005.

On this two-day visit, Ambassador Sobir met with key members in the European Parliament, Council, Permanent Representations to EU and international journalists in Brussels. Ambassador Sobir updated the EU stakeholders on the developments in the reform programme in the Maldives. He also informed the EU audience that President Gayoom had called for all-party consultations between all political parties. They key objectives of the consultations were to build confidence and to generate consensus on the reform process.

Speaking to the European Commission and journalists on post-Tsunami recovery, Ambassador Sobir said if the aid commitments made and delivery on the ground is not closed in the near future, Maldives faces an economic crisis. He stated that the gap between aid needed and aid pledged remains a central issue to the Maldives recovery programme.

Ambassador Sobir also discussed programmes for EU- Maldives Trade Cooperation with key officials in the Directorate-General for Trade in the European Commission.

27 November, 2005 The Commonwealth Secretary General calls on the President

The President standing to the right of Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr. Don McKinnon, in the official commemorative photograph.

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Don McKinnon called on the President today.

The President briefed Mr. McKinnon on the progress in implementing his agenda for democracy, human rights and reform. He noted that a Judicial Services Commission had been established to further separate the Judiciary from the Executive. He also informed Mr. McKinnon, he had invited delegations of all political parties to attend all-party consultations. He added that State Dignitary, Mr. Mohamed Zahir had been appointed to coordinate the talks. Further, he pointed out that the key objectives of the talks would be to formulate a roadmap for the reform process and to increasing ownership of the reform process by stakeholders from across the political spectrum.

The Commonwealth Secretary General noted the importance of the President’s reform agenda, and welcomed the President’s initiative to usher in a mature democracy in the Maldives. He noted that the reform programme would take a long time to be fully implemented, and that he intended to inform the international community that the ongoing reforms in the Maldives was indeed extensive.

Mr. McKinnon thanked the President for acknowledging the support of the Commonwealth towards the reform agenda, in his speech at yesterday’s Executive Session of the Commonwealth Summit.

The President and Mr. Don McKinnon also discussed the progress in the work of the Commonwealth’s Special Envoy, Tan Sri Musa Hitam, in promoting cross-party dialogue to strengthen multiparty governance in the Maldives.

Heads of Governments of the Commonwealth member states have also met in retreat today. The President spoke about the vulnerability of small island states, and the need to bridge the shortfall in funding for tsunami recovery. Further, he added that more donor assistance was needed to ensure the Maldives attained full recovery in the shortest possible time.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

28 November, 2005 The President briefs Queen Elizabeth II on tsunami recovery efforts in the Maldives

The President greeting Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, at the reception held by the Queen for invited delegates and civil society representatives.

The President last night briefed Queen Elizabeth II on the ongoing national recovery efforts from the effects of the December 2004 tsunami disaster.

Speaking with the British monarch at the official reception given by Queen Elizabeth II for invited delegates and civil society representatives, the President highlighted the extensive damage caused by the tsunami and the ongoing endeavours to attain full national recovery. Highlighting that the assistance from the donor community had been overwhelming, the President noted that more aid was needed to overcome the nationwide effects of the disaster. He also briefed Queen Elizabeth II on the efforts of the Government to attract more donor assistance towards the reconstruction phase of the programme. He expressed his gratitude to the Government of the UK for its assistance towards the tsunami recovery programme.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

28 November, 2005 The President highlights that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting had once again proved to be eminently helpful and useful for small island states such as the Maldives

The President speaking on behalf of the Asian member countries of the Commonwealth, at the Final Session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta.

The President has highlighted that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting had once again proved to be eminently helpful and useful for small states such as the Maldives. He made the statement in a speech delievered at today’s closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta. He was speaking on the request of the Commonwealth on behalf of the Asian member states of the Commonwealth.

The President noted that CHOGM had again demonstrated the value in networking for development, peace and progress, for small states and indeed all members of the Commonwealth. Thanking the Commonwealth for the focus given to small states, such as the Maldives, the President said that the economic and environmental vulnerability of small island states had always found strong empathy and sympathy within the Commonwealth.

The President noted that the Malta Summit had covered a variety of issues of fundamental interest to all member states, and that the format of the Summit had enabled delegates to focus on broad spectrum of concerns. He highlighted that trade issues had dominated discussions, and that the Summit had been able to reach a promising and forward-looking Declaration on the subject.

The President singled out the current European Union President, British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair deserved special mention for his very important constribution in ensuring that the Meeting was a resounding success. He also thanked the Maltese President and Prime Minister, and the Government and people of Malta, for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to all delegates, and for the excellent arrangements that had been made for the Summit. He also thanked Queen Elizabeth II, and the Commonwealth Secretary General and his staff.

The Gozo Statement on Vulnerable Small States, adopted at the Summit, had extended solidarity and support to the Maldives in seeking to strengthen disaster preparedness and post-disaster responses following the destruction caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Ugandan President and the Samoan Prime Minister spoke on behalf of the Carribean, the African and the Pacific countries, respectively. The Secretary General of Commonwealth, Mr. Don McKinnon and the Prime Minister of Malta, Mr. Lawrence Gonzi also spoke at the closing ceremony.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives