Maldives elected as Vice President of UNHRC

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has today elected Dr Salma Rasheed, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Office in Geneva as Vice President of the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the remainder of 2025. 

Rasheed was nominated by consensus of the Asia-Pacific Group to represent the group in the council. 

Maldives has served on the Human Rights Council from 2011 to 2013, and from 2014 to 2016, now serving the current term from 2023 to 2025. 

The Maldives has held the Vice Presidency of the Council in 2013 and 2023. 

With today's election, Rasheed will be joining counterparts from Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo and Romania as one of four Vice Presidents. 

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu shared a post on X stating that it is a proud moment for the country. Maldives has a proven track record in advocating for human rights related issues, he wrote.  

"This appointment reaffirms the Maldives’ proven ability to contribute constructively to the leadership and effective functioning of the Council," a statement from the Foreign Ministry reads. 

"Throughout its membership, the Maldives has consistently championed the universality of human rights and promoted the values of dialogue, cooperation, and consensus-building as principles that remain central to the multilateral system."