About us
The Maldives Policy Think Tank is dedicated to shaping the development landscape of the Maldives through evidence-based research, policy recommendations, and fostering dialogue among key stakeholders. The think tank plays a crucial role in assisting the government, civil society groups, local councils, and international partners in formulating policies that address the country’s most pressing challenges.
Collaborate
Assist the government, civil society groups, local councils and international stakeholders in formulating policy .
Conduct research
Employ experts to research and analyse policy issues, economic and social trends.
Policy recommendations
Based on research findings, formulate policy recommendations and solutions to address key the issues they study.
Inform public discourse
Inform and influence public policy and discourse: Provide expertise on, and inform debates on important policy issues.
Expertise and advice
Provide a resource for policymakers, government officials, and other stakeholders seeking expertise and advice on specific policy issues.
Foster dialogue
Bring together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from various fields to engage in dialogue, debate, and exchange ideas on policy issues, promoting a more informed and inclusive policy-making process.
Meet our team
We draw on the experience of a network of highly skilled experts in areas of economic and fiscal policy and trends, legal and constitutional experts and development practitioners and CSOs.
Our goal is to encourage informed decision-making, public discourse and dialogue among stakeholders. To do this, we provide research and develop comprehensive policy recommendations and solutions. We provide a vital link between academic research and practical policy-making, change academic findings into actionable recommendations that policymakers can readily implement, thereby ensuring that the best available evidence and analysis are effectively integrated into the policy-making process.
Eva Abdulla
Chairperson
Eva Abdulla, former Deputy Speaker, was a three- term elected member of the Parliament of Maldives.
Eva’s main work in Parliament concentrated on good governance, foreign policy, and gender. She served on the Parliamentary Committees for: Oversight of the National Security Services, Economic Affairs, and Committee for State Budget Review.
Eva served on the IPU Committee on Women Parliamentarians; on the IPU High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, and on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Small Branches Steering Committee.
Eva previously worked at the WHO, the UNFPA, and was the Manager for the newspaper ‘Minivan Daily. She holds a BA in Politics and Government, from the University of Kent, UK, and a MA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Warwick, UK.
Jeehan Mahmood
Vice Chaiperson
Jeehan Mahmood, a former Maldives MP (2019-2024), chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Rights and Gender and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights. As an expert human rights consultant, she has led legislative reform on child rights and protection in the Maldives and has undertaken international consultancies on human rights issues. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Association for the Prevention of Torture.
Jeehan has pioneered human rights reforms in the Maldives as a Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, a civil society member, and a parliamentarian. She holds advanced degrees in Human Rights Education, Sociology, Psychology, and English.
Afshan Latheef
Vice Chaiperson
Afshan Latheef has extensive experience working with state agencies, civil society, media and political parties, particularly in collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to formulate policy, implementing strategies to achieve government objectives, and in crafting advocacy and communication plans to promote policies, manifestos and campaigns.
With a keen interest in community empowerment and local governance, she most recently served as the CEO of the Local Government Authority of the Maldives, mandated with overlooking and monitoring the functioning and operation of all the local councils established in the country.