The Maldives government has appeared before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and presented oral submissions in the advisory proceedings over the genocide in Palestine.
Maldives Ambassador to Germany, Aishath Shaan Shakir, represented the Maldives during the proceedings entitled Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Shaan said that support for the Palestinian people, including in their pursuit of an independent sovereign State of Palestine, has long been a cornerstone of the Maldives’ foreign policy.
The Maldives further reiterated that the only sustainable solution to the conflict is the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
International lawyers Amy Sander and Dr. Naomi Hart also represented the Maldives at the hearing. Their statements were focused on Israel’s multiple, serious violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
They also focused on Israel's practices in relation to water resources and responded to the two questions that the UN General Assembly has requested that the ICJ answer.
The Maldives also joined multiple states in asserting that the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amount to apartheid.
The UN General Assembly at its 77th Session, adopted the resolution entitled “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” in which the General Assembly decided to request the ICJ to render an Advisory Opinion pursuant to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court.
This decision was made in accordance with Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations, which allows the General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ on any legal question.
