LocationsVeshisaafu Participates in HRCM CSO Partnership Forum in Malé
December 26, 2025
Environmental degradation has direct consequences for people’s rights, livelihoods, and wellbeing — a reality that was at the centre of discussions during the HRCM–CSO Partnership Forum: Voices for a Living Planet, held over two days in Malé City in December 2025.
Organised by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives with support from UNDP Maldives, the forum brought together civil society organisations and national institutions to explore the links between environmental harm and human rights in the Maldivian context.
The discussions focused on practical issues including environmental rights, access to information, community-based monitoring, and the role of civil society in safeguarding both people and the environment. Participants shared lived experiences and highlighted how environmental damage affects daily life, particularly in relation to housing, water security, livelihoods, and community wellbeing.
Pek Chuan Gan, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Maldives, delivering her remarks.
The forum also served as a platform to strengthen collaboration between HRCM and civil society organisations, helping to identify shared priorities and outline next steps for continued engagement on environmental rights and human dignity.
Speaking during the forum, Pek Chuan Gan, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Maldives, underscored the urgency of addressing environmental challenges through a human rights lens:
“In the Maldives, climate change is not an abstract threat. It is a lived reality. When homes are no longer safe, when clean water cannot be guaranteed, and when livelihoods and identity are at risk, environmental harm becomes a human rights issue.”
The forum reaffirmed the importance of informed communities, open dialogue, and strong partnerships in addressing environmental challenges and protecting human rights in the Maldives.