Regional Arrangements
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Members of the SAARC include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
As a member of SAARC, Government of Maldives has signed the following agreements and is working on implementing these agreements:
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Date Signed | 6th January 2004 (Commenced on 1st January 2006) |
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Date Signed | April 2010 |
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Date Signed | 3rd August 2008 |
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Purpose
To strengthen intra-SAARC economic cooperation and maximize the realization of the region’s potential for trade and development, for the benefit of their people, in a spirit of mutual accommodation, with full respect for the principles of sovereign equality, independence and territorial integrity of all states, and in line with the charter objective of promoting economic co-operation.Date Signed
6th January 2004 (Commenced on 1st January 2006)Highlights
Outlines 10-year schedule for trade liberalization, which aims at reducing and eliminating customs duties on cross border trade.Purpose
Promote and enhance trade in services among the member countries, by establishing a framework for liberalizing and promoting trade in services within the region
Date Signed
April 2010
Highlights
Signed during the 16th SAARC Summit in Bhutan. The Agreement has been ratified by all Member States and has entered into force on 29 November 2012. Member countries required to progressively liberalize their services sectors.
Purpose
Achieve and enhance coordination and cooperation in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment. And develop harmonized standards for the region. Assist in facilitating intra-regional trade and enhanced access to the global market.
Date Signed
3rd August 2008
Highlights
SARSO Agreement was signed during the 15th SAARC Summit in Sri Lanka. SARSO was established on 25 August 2011 after ratification of Agreement on the establishment of South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) by all Member States of SAARC. SARSO is a regional body that aims to promote standardization and harmonization of standards across South Asian countries. The organization was with the aim of facilitating trade and economic integration in the region by developing and implementing common standards. South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) was established; For the promotion of and undertaking harmonization of national standards of the SAARC Member States, with a view to removing the technical barriers to trade and facilitate the smooth flow of goods and services in the region. To develop SAARC standards on the products of regional/sub-regional interest. To encourage the use of international standards published by international organizations such as ISO, IEC by way of adoption, where appropriate as SAARC Standards. To encourage exchange of information and expertise among National Standards Bodies of the Member States in the fields of Standardization and Conformity Assessment. To facilitate capacity building among Member States in the fields of Standardization and Conformity Assessment, through training, workshops, seminars etc.
Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)
Members of the OIC includes: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority (PA), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
As a member of OIC, Government of Maldives has signed the following agreements and working on implementing these agreements:
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Date Signed | October 1990 (Effective since October 2002, Ratified on 11th April 2006)
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Purpose
Agreement aims to promote trade among member countries, through exchanging trade preferences on the basis of equality and in a non-discriminatory manner, taking into account, the Most Favored Nation (MFN) principle.
Date Signed
October 1990 (Effective since October 2002, Ratified on 11th April 2006)
Highlights
The Framework Agreement on TPS-OIC sets out the general principles towards establishing a preferential trading system among the OIC Member States. These preferences include; tariff, para-tariff and non-tariff concessions, and other trade preferential treatments to all commodities, including agricultural products, animal products, manufactured and semi-manufactured products.
Multilateral Arrangements
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Maldives a signatory to the World Trade Organization (WTO) became a founder member of the WTO on 31 May 1995. Maldives had been a contracting party to the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT), since 19 April 1983.
WTO is the forerunner to the GATT, The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
As a Member of the WTO, Maldives accords MFN treatment to all WTO Members.
Maldives appointed an Ambassador to the WTO and accredited Maldives mission in Geneva to the United Nations as the Ambassador to WTO.
The Maldives is a member of the following groups in the negotiations:
- Asian Developing Members
- G- 90
- Small, vulnerable economies (SVEs)
Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC)
The Government of Maldives joined the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) as a Country Strategic Partner on 5th February 2019.
This platform is to allow the Government of Maldives to leverage its Commonwealth links and drive our economic growth and prosperity. CWEICS’s global network is of great value to the Government in promoting range of investment opportunities to the Commonwealth business community.
World Intellectual Property Organization
The Maldives in a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a Self-funding agency of the United Nations that is dedicated to promoting the protection of intellectual property (IP) throughout the world. The Maldives joined WIPO in 2004, becoming one of over 190 member countries.
As a member of WIPO, the Maldives has access to a range of resources and services to help protect and manage our intellectual property. WIPO has been providing guidance and assistance on intellectual property matters, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. The organization is also supporting the development of the IP system in the country and provides training and education programs to help us in understanding and implementing Intellectual Property Rights in the country.
The Maldives has taken steps to strengthen its own intellectual property regime in recent years. In 2010, the country enacted a new copyright law that brought its protection of copyrights and related rights in line with international standards. WIPO has been offering technical support to the Maldives as we are developing a new Intellectual Property Law that will offer protections for Patents and Trademarks.
Through its participation in WIPO, the Maldives has demonstrated its commitment to protecting intellectual property and supporting the growth of innovative industries. By engaging with other member countries and taking advantage of WIPO’s resources, the Maldives is in the process of developing a strong IP system that benefits both its citizens and the global community.
International Labor Organization
The Maldives became the 183rd member of the International Labor Organization on 15th May 2009. Maldives has signed 8 out of the 10 fundamental conventions of the ILO. C029 – Forced Labor Convention,1930 (No. 29) on 04 Jan 2013, C087 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No. 87) on 04 Jan 2013, C098 – Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) on 04 Jan 2013, C100 – Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) on 04 Jan 2013, C105 – Abolition of Forced Labor Convention, 1957 (No. 105) on 04 Jan 2013, C111 – Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) on 04 Jan 2013, C138 – Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) on 04 Jan 2013, C182 – Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, 1999 (No.182) on 04 Jan 2013, C185 – Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003, and Maritime Labor Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) on 07 Oct 2014.
The priority areas agreed upon for cooperation with the ILO were labor legislation, labor administration, training and capacity building of constituents, labor market information, and ratification of international labor standards.
International Organization for Migration
The Maldives became a member state of IOM in August 2011. IOM established its office in the country in April 2013. IOM works closely with the Government to promote safe and orderly migration. A cooperation agreement was signed between IOM and the Government of Maldives on 5 August 2011. IOM and the government collaborate on building capacity and provides advisory services and technical assistance on migration-related topics, including migration and health, international migration law, migration, and the environment, migration information, trafficking prevention, and migration of nationals and foreigners.