Freedom of Association (Article 15) 15. Freedom of association is guaranteed under Article 30 of the Constitution (2008). However article 6 (b) of Association Act (1/2003) does not permit registration of organizations if the applicants’ age is below 18 years. 16. In an assessment conducted by HRCM with the support of UNICEF on “Child Participation in the Maldives” students have revealed that lack of student organization at local and national levels to represent their views, limits the opportunities for them to participation in decisions that affect them.26Similarly children with special needs have felt that they have very few opportunities to participate in the activities in the society.27Although children are aware of the existence of youth organizations the lack of opportunity to participate has hindered their involvement in these organizations. 28This report also emphasized that students feel that schools are far too strict on the issue of children’s participation in civil society organizations and other such institutions and activities.29 17. Participation in civil society and public activities are largely restricted to children as prior permission from their respective school is required.30 The committee may wish to ask the government • Mechanisms in place for children to voice their opinion on issues / programmes that affect their lives. Access to Information (Article 17 ) 18. The ratification of Right to Information Act in 2014 guarantees the right to access information produced, held or maintained by a State Institute to any member of the general public. However, State Media is often accused of being biased and self‐censoring the information provided to the general public.31,32 19. Although the state report says that ‘Maldivian children are generally knowledgeable in the use of the Internet, and are able to access it readily from both computers and phones’, no study or assessment has ever been carried out to gauge the extent to which children have access to internet in the atolls. 20. Access to information through conventional means such as libraries is very limited in the atolls. Most of the school libraries in the atolls lack reference and educational books that help children to develop their thinking.33 Very few books are available even in the libraries of atoll education centers/schools and most of the available books are limited to a specific age group.34Most of the schools do not provide internet access for children as most schools lack equipments and resources to provide such access.35 The committee may wish to ask the government 1. Plans to provide equal access to all age appropriate information to children especially those living in the atolls. Page 7 of 39