AGO Appoints Former AG Dr. Munawwar to Study ITLOS Decision on Maldives EEZ

The Attorney General’s Office has announced the appointment of former Attorney General Dr. Mohamed Munawwar to the team tasked with reviewing the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas’ (ITLOS) decision that resulted in the loss of a significant portion of the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Former AG Munawwar is has a doctoral degree in the field of maritime law, which makes him an expert on the subject matter. He is renowned in the Maldives for his skill in his profession, which has resulted in his selection by the government to help review this important case.

Previously, he led research which led to the Maldives’ claim to the continental shelf during President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration. The proposal was submitted to the UN Committee to acquire an additional 150 nautical miles of continental shelf outside the 200 nautical miles of Maldives former EEZ.

As a result of the ITLOS ruling which granted the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, Maldives lost a significant portion of its EEZ, along with any claim it previously had to the continental shelf as a result. This blunder by the previous government has been condemned by prominent officials across the political spectrum of the Maldives in the build up to the presidential elections last year.

Along with Dr. Munawwar, a British King’s Counsel and a Maltese professor on the Law of the Sea have been brought into the review process to provide legal advice on the matter. The foreign counsel brought on by the government have until February to provide their reports on the ITLOS ruling and the next steps in the case to the Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General has decided to share the report with the public, as well as submit the report to the Cabinet and Parliament for deliberation. This is in alignment with the President’s 14 Week roadmap for his presidency.

Furthermore, the Attorney General’s Office will be publishing the details about the legal experts who have been appointed, as well as the money spent on the work in an effort to increase transparency surrounding this high profile case.