Maldivian Cabinet has approved the country’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu forwarding the matter to Parliament for approval.

The decision followed a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare at the Cabinet meeting held on September 20, 2026.

Parliamentary approval is required under Article 93(a) of the Constitution before the Maldives can formally join the protocol.

The Maldives ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on April 5, 2010, but has not yet acceded to its Optional Protocol.

The country has received recommendations during international human rights reviews to become a party to the additional agreement.

The Optional Protocol creates mechanisms to strengthen accountability and implementation of the convention.

Under one mechanism, individuals or groups may submit complaints to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding alleged rights violations, provided they have first exhausted available domestic legal remedies.

A second mechanism allows the UN committee to conduct confidential inquiries when it receives reliable information indicating that a state party may have committed serious or systematic violations of rights protected under the convention.

If Parliament approves the accession, people in the Maldives will be able to seek review through these international mechanisms in cases involving alleged violations of disability rights.

The move would add an international avenue for accountability while reinforcing the Maldives’ obligations to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.