Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed today inaugurated the public awareness campaign on people’s legal rights and how the judicial system works, “Did You Know?”.
“Did You Know?” campaign is a key activity under Protecting Human Rights and Promoting Access to Justice Project funded by United Nations Development Programme and implemented in partnership with the government and justice sector institutions.
Speaking at the campaign launching event held at Surf Point in Male’ this afternoon, Vice President Dr Waheed underscored the importance of educating the public on their rights and how to access those rights to build a just society.
He noted that a lot more was needed to consolidate democracy, despite having held a free presidential election and a parliamentary election, separation of powers, a free media and independent institutions established.
Furthermore, he stressed that democracy could only survive in a just society which ensures people’s basic freedoms and treats everyone equally.
He said, to build such a society in the Maldives where everyone had equal access to their rights, we should free ourselves from some social diseases and certain prejudices that exist in our society.
The key activity of the year long awareness campaign is a door-to-door operation across the country in which volunteers visit every household to give information on topics related people’s rights and the justice system.
The launch event was also attended by Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain and UN Resident Coordinator Andrew Cox.
