Maldives Rejoins Commonwealth

Maldives officially re-joined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020.

The popular honeymoon destination in the Indian Ocean first joined the Commonwealth in 1982 but withdrew its membership in 2016.

This marks the end of a process that began in December 2018, when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary-General expressing the country’s interest in re-joining.

Maldives President, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, said, “Today is a happy day for Maldivians as we return to the family of Commonwealth nations. As a young democracy, the Commonwealth’s foundational values of the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, multilateralism and world peace remain relevant to us more than ever. We gratefully acknowledge the support and help of the Commonwealth to the Maldivian democratic movement, and we look forward to the support of fellow member states to ensure the long term entrenchment of these values in our society.”

Maldives, the 54th member of the Commonwealth, will now be part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda on 22-28 June 2020.

Maldives' Ambassador to the UK also becomes its High Commissioner, signifying Commonwealth membership.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said, “I warmly congratulate Maldives on its successful application. We are delighted to welcome the country and its people back to the Commonwealth. The reform process underway in Maldives aligns with the values and principles of the Commonwealth and we encourage the nation to continue on this path. Commonwealth members were pleased to note these developments and are happy once again to count Maldives as a member of the family. Together we will support Maldives to realise its ambitions.”

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