President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established a seven-member Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Maldives’ actions in International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Case Number 28.
The commission was created by Presidential Decree No. 2026/17 under Article 115(o) of the Constitution. It follows the President’s announcement during his Presidential Address on 5 February this year.
According to the President’s Office, the inquiry was ordered after international experts reviewing the case concluded that decisions taken during the proceedings resulted in substantial and irreversible losses to the Maldives. The government maintains that the outcome affected the country’s interests in fisheries, marine resources and seabed assets in waters between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago.
The commission is formally named the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate the Actions of the Maldives in ITLOS Case Number 28. It is chaired by Ahmed Shakir (ODRDD). Other members are Abdul Azeez Yoosuf, Dr Aminath Shafiya Adam, Dr Abdul Muhsin Mohamed, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohamed Sadiq, Ahmed Ali Maniku and Fathimath Minhath Izzath.
The commission has been tasked with reviewing the conduct of state employees, advisers and officials before and during the tribunal proceedings, as well as decisions made in responding to the maritime dispute. Its mandate includes determining whether legal negligence occurred, examining the handling and preservation of documents related to the case, and identifying any individuals whose actions may warrant further measures.
It will also recommend institutional and procedural reforms intended to prevent similar issues in the handling of major international legal cases.
ITLOS delivered its judgment in April 2023, establishing the maritime boundary between the Maldives and Mauritius within 200 nautical miles. Of the overlapping claims, the tribunal allocated a larger share to the Maldives than to Mauritius, but the government has described the overall result as a significant loss.
The commission’s work is expected to examine the role of previous administrations in the case.
