5 May 2025.
The Maldives’ Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Transparency Maldives (TM) recently published their Comprehensive Assessment on the Implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the Maldives. This assessment was conducted in collaboration with the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) using its comprehensive methodology for assessing RTI implementation. The methodology evaluates the quality of RTI implementation in four key areas: central measures (which, in the case of the Maldives, focuses on the Information Commissioner’s performance), institutional measures at public authorities, proactive disclosure practices and reactive disclosure or responding to requests for information.
Data for the assessment was collected from a sample of 30 public authorities drawn from across different sectors including ministries and departments, independent institutions, courts, local councils and State-owned enterprises.
The Maldives received an overall yellow score (0.56 out of 1.00) which signifies that while there were some positive results, there is still a lot of room for improvement across the board.
Key Findings:
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- Timeliness of Information Requests: Only 38% of requests were responded to in full within the period prescribed in the law. While public authorities acknowledged and responded to requests within the stipulated time, the actual information requested was often not provided. Only 45% of requests resulted in the provision of all of the information requested, while some information often arrived late.
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- Lack of RTI Implementation Plans: None of the public authorities assessed had adopted RTI implementation plans. This absence leads to significant delays and instances of requests getting lost altogether. Public authorities are urged to develop detailed implementation plans to streamline the processing of requests.
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- Need for Enhanced Online Infrastructure: Proactive disclosure remains the weakest aspect of RTI implementation. One challenge is the lack of websites which meet disclosure standards. Efforts should be made to develop and maintain websites for local councils and smaller public authorities, while also ensuring that information is accessible in other ways if websites are not feasible.
- Challenges Faced by RTI Practitioners: Although information officers denied being under pressure to keep information secret RTI practitioners and journalists reported delays and withholding of information, indicating possible fear of reprisal or institutional reluctance. Journalists feel targeted, with authorities often extending deadlines without justification.
Key Recommendations:
The Maldives’ Information Commissioner’s Office and Transparency Maldives make the following key recommendations to promote effective RTI implementation:
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- Institutional Capacity Building: The development of online infrastructure for public authorities to support proactive disclosures should be prioritised, including the allocation of necessary funding and technical support for website maintenance.
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- Alternative Information Disclosure Methods: Alternative means for disclosing information should be used by institutions which lack the ability to disclose online.
- Staff Capacity Building: The skills of relevant staff, especially information officers, should be enhanced so as to increase accountability, while institutional RTI implementation plans should be developed with a view to streamlining and improving information provision.
It is essential that a concerted effort be made by public authorities, oversight bodies and civil society so as to ensure that the right to information is not only protected by law but realised in practice.
The full report can be found here. A summary of the results of this and previous evaluations can be found on this page, to which assessments of other countries will be added as they are completed.
For further information, please contact:
Raphael Vagliano
Legal Officer
Centre for Law and Democracy
Email: raphael@law-democracy.org
+1 514 506-0948
www.law-democracy.org
Twitter: @law_democracy
