Maldives

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 08 July 2019

UPDATE: On 27 September 2019, the Maldives acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, becoming the 107th State Party and the 121st state to join. The profile below shall be updated in due course to reflect this. 

 

Summary: Non-signatory the Maldives has shown intertest in the convention, but has not taken any steps to join it. The Maldives voted in favor of a key United Nations (UN) resolution on the convention in December 2018. It is not known to have used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.

Policy

The Republic of Maldives has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The Maldives has not taken any steps to join the convention, but officials have expressed interest in pursuing this goal. [1] In January 2019, a Ministry of Defense representative discussed the matter with the Cluster Munition Coalition’s Sri Lanka representative. [2]

The Maldives did not participate in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The Maldives participated as an observer in the convention’s First Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane, Lao PDR in November 2010. This remains the only time it attended a meeting of the convention.

In December 2018, the Maldives voted in favor of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that urges states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.” [3] It has voted in favor of the annual UNGA resolution promoting the convention since it was first introduced in 2015.

The Maldives has voted in favor of UNGA and Human Rights Council (HRC) resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, and co-sponsored the March 2019 HRC resolution. [4]

The Maldives is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

The Maldives is not known to have used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.



 [1] In October 2017, a representative of the Maldives told the Monitor that the Office of the Attorney General is reviewing the convention, which is the first step in the process of accession. The official cautioned that the process of acceding would not be completed swiftly as it requires legislative approval. Cluster Munition Monitor interview with Laila Shareef, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the UN, New York, 13 October 2017.

 [2] @Vidyampa, “The Forum on Disarmament & Development (FDD) of @SriLanka met the Maldives National Defence Force @MNDF_Official in Male today& encouraged @Maldives to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions @ISUCCM Arms Trade Treaty @ATT_PS & Nuclear Ban Treaty @nuclearban We are hopeful!,” Tweet, 9:50am, 22 January 2019.

 [3]Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” UNGA Resolution 73/54, 5 December 2018.

 [4]The human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” HRC Resolution A/HRC/40/L.7, 22 March 2019.