Foreign relations of the Maldives

The Maldives has remained an independent nation throughout its recorded history, save for a brief spell of Portuguese occupation in the mid-16th century. From 1887 to 1965, the country was a British protectorate while retaining full internal sovereignty. At its independence in 1965, the Maldives joined the United Nations on 20 September.

Since 1978, the Maldives has followed a policy of international engagement, intensifying links with strategic partners and the international system. It joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1982. A founder member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Maldives is also a member of the Bretton Woods system. It is also party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as numerous conventions on the protection of the environment, the suppression of terrorism, disarmament and on the promotion and protection of human rights.

In the transition towards a liberal democracy, the Maldives has successfully established dialogue and collaboration with the international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and acceded to numerous human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). During the same period, the country has also intensified links with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

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