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President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established a special commission to investigate the Maldives’ handling of its maritime boundary dispute with Mauritius at ITLOS.
Mariyam Adheela
MALE’: President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established a special presidential commission to investigate the actions taken by the Maldives in International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Case No. 28, which concerned the maritime boundary dispute between the Maldives and Mauritius.
The commission was established under Presidential Decree No. 2026/17, pursuant to Article 115(o) of the Constitution. The President had announced plans to form the commission during his presidential address on February 5.
The inquiry follows reports by international experts who examined the case, formally titled Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The reports stated that actions taken by the Maldives resulted in significant and irrecoverable losses of national territory, with consequences for the country’s fisheries, marine wealth and seabed resources.
The seven-member commission will be chaired by Uz Ahmed Shakir (ODRDD). Its other members are:
The commission has been tasked with examining the actions of state employees, advisers, officials and authorities involved in the case, including the Maldives’ response and decisions made during the proceedings.
It will also investigate whether legal negligence occurred, determine the extent of any such negligence, and review how documents relating to the case were maintained and preserved.
The commission is authorised to recommend appropriate action against those found accountable and propose measures to prevent similar issues in the future.
The commission will remain in operation until the President declares its mandate completed.
