Mauritius, 2008

I stand in for The

Honourable Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister

of the Republic of Mauritius, who is not able to be

personally present to address this Assembly at this

session. The Prime Minister has asked me, on his

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behalf to make this statement and to convey his kind

greetings to President D’Escoto Brockmann; to his

predecessor, Mr. Srgjan Kerim; and our Secretary-

General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

The problems we face are many and daunting, but

we believe that humankind has the ingenuity and

resources to overcome adversity through a unified

response. The goal of promoting human development

and security, in all its manifold aspects, should remain

our priority. In that regard, the theme of this session —

“The impact of the global food crisis on poverty and

hunger and the need to democratize the United

Nations” — is both timely and relevant.

We are all affected by the growing global food

crisis. As always, the brunt of food insecurity is borne

by Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, where riots and

strikes have occurred and social unrest threatens

political stability. Admittedly, a number of factors

underlie the present scarcity of food. Some of those

factors are beyond our control. However, there is an

urgent need for us to address such issues as outdated

agricultural practices, inadequate infrastructure, the

inequitable distribution of land ownership and

insecurity of tenure. The list is long. The remedies are

known. Hopefully, we can bring to bear the political

will that is required.

Mauritius is a net food importing country. To

reduce our dependence on food imports, the

Government is implementing a plan to maximize food

production. We are optimizing land use and

diversifying the production of food crops, livestock

and seafood. To overcome the constraints of land

availability and take advantage of economies of scale,

we aim, in partnership with neighbouring countries, to

produce for our common domestic markets and

eventually for exports to the region. Our experiments

in that respect with Madagascar and Mozambique are

proving to be mutually beneficial and hold great

promise for the future.

The right to food is one that is very often

overlooked, and yet it is intimately connected to human

dignity. It is important that the international

community act now to ensure that this fundamental

human right is respected. In this era of scientific and

technological prowess, when we are unravelling the

mysteries of the immensities of the universe and

subatomic particles, and when the discoveries of

science daily amaze us and change our perceptions of

reality, it is unconscionable that countless children

should sleep on an empty stomach. One out of every

six persons in the world suffers from hunger. That is

the greatest moral challenge facing humanity today.

We commend the Secretary-General for the

timely establishment of the High-level Task Force on

the Global Food Security Crisis. We also welcome the

recent proposal by the European Commission to create

a special facility amounting to more than $1.5 billion

for a rapid response to food crises, in coordination with

the United Nations Task Force and international

organizations.

Over a period of almost one year, the

unprecedented level of the price of oil has dealt a

severe blow to the economic growth of many

developing countries. Mauritius depends on imported

oil for 80 per cent of its energy consumption, which

makes it extremely vulnerable on that count. The share

of petroleum products in our import bill went up from

12 per cent in 2000 to 18 per cent in 2007. We have

recently set up the “Maurice Ile Durable” project to

encourage more efficient use of energy and to tap

renewable energy sources.

(spoke in French)

The Maurice Ile Durable project is bold, but we

believe that the current global situation calls for

boldness. The prime objective of the project is to strike

a balance between our economic, environmental and

social needs. Last year, we achieved a 5.4 per cent

growth rate increase and this year we forecast a rate of

more than 5.7 per cent. However, we realize that

growth is not an end in itself.

The Government is pursuing a model of

development that takes into account not only economic

imperatives, but also the deep-seated aspirations of

each Mauritian citizen. At the same time, we cannot

allow ourselves to compromise the opportunities for

future generations.

The Maurice Ile Durable project seeks to make

Mauritius a fully-fledged laboratory. We will use the

natural resources with which our island is so liberally

endowed — the sea, the sun, the wind and a rich plant

biomass. We seek an environmental solution to the

problem of global warming and to our dependence on

the extremely volatile hydrocarbons market. We have

set ourselves the target of reducing our dependence of

petroleum-based products by two thirds within

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20 years. This is how we are contributing to

international efforts to combat the greenhouse effect. It

is the wager for the future of a very vulnerable small

island economy, but I want to believe that it is also the

objective of a planet threatened with suffocation on the

long term.

(spoke in English)

While the causes of food insecurity and the

energy crisis are multiple and complex, there is little

doubt that climate change will exacerbate the situation

in the future. Climate change places a particular burden

on developing countries, which have done the least to

cause the problem. Developing countries are in dire

need of assistance to enhance their adaptive capacity

and minimize their vulnerability because, on their own,

they cannot bear the burden of the costs of mitigation

and adaptation.

As an island, Mauritius is especially vulnerable to

the effects of climate change, sea-level rise, beach

erosion, coral bleaching and extreme weather

conditions. They not only affect our local resources

and industries such as fisheries and tourism, but also

threaten vital infrastructure, settlements and services.

The increased frequency and scale of natural disasters

exacerbate our inherent vulnerability.

Mauritius is fully engaged in the post-Bali

process. The meetings to be held in Poznan in

December and in Copenhagen next year will be crucial

to determining emission targets. It is vital that we reach

a comprehensive agreement on a climate change

framework. At the last high-level meeting on climate

change, Mauritius made a plea for the creation of a

special fund to enable the development and

implementation of adaptation measures. Our appeal to

international donors to provide the much-needed

resources for operating the fund is yet to be answered.

However, we welcome the recent declaration by the

leaders of the Group of Eight of a long-term emissions

reduction target of at least 50 per cent by 2050. We

also welcome their undertaking to help support the

mitigation plans of major developing countries through

technology transfer and capacity-building.

Small island developing States are innocent

victims of global warming and the degradation of the

environment. Only a few weeks ago, we witnessed the

devastation caused by a quick succession of hurricanes

in the Caribbean. We therefore call on the international

community to assist small island developing States to

incorporate adaptation and mitigation plans into their

national strategies. Continued access to official

development assistance, concessionary financing

arrangements, the reduction of debt servicing and

improved terms of trade are crucial to building up the

economic resilience of small island developing States.

We are particularly concerned about the

inadequate level of implementation of the Barbados

Plan of Action and the Mauritius Strategy. We reiterate

our request to the international community to honour

the offers of assistance made during the international

conference on small island developing States held in

Mauritius in 2005. Furthermore, the arbitrary gross

domestic product criteria applied to determine the

eligibility for securing concessionary finance

disqualify most small island developing States from

accessing much-needed funds for important

infrastructure development. It is absolutely necessary

in that regard that small island developing States be

treated as a distinct category.

More than halfway through, the Millennium

Development Goal (MDG) track record is mixed. Some

developing countries are on target while others,

particularly from the African continent, are facing

crippling difficulties. Even the gains painstakingly

achieved in fighting hunger and poverty are tenuous

and could be nullified by the current food and energy

crisis. It is vital that donors and development partners

honour the pledges made in the Millennium

Declaration, the 2002 Monterrey International

Conference on Financing for Development and the

2005 World Summit.

Mauritius is on track to meet the MDG targets.

Efforts are under way in all key socio-economic sectors

to further improve living standards and to achieve the

MDGs as early as possible. We are addressing poverty

in a comprehensive and coherent manner, convinced

that it will have a positive impact on the other

development goals. Our experience has demonstrated

that the most effective remedy to poverty is inclusive

economic growth.

The Government is pursuing a number of

programmes announced in its latest budget to eliminate

absolute poverty. We have introduced an Eradication of

Absolute Poverty Programme, which comprises a

number of integrated development projects within

identified pockets of poverty. We have also put in place

a Human Resource Development, Knowledge and Arts

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Fund to ensure that university studies become

affordable to all. We aim to double enrolment in

tertiary education by 2015.

In April, Mauritius hosted the Southern Africa

Development Community (SADC) International

Conference on Poverty and Development. I am happy

to inform the Assembly that the Conference formulated

a regional strategy for poverty eradication in the SADC

countries. The SADC secretariat has taken follow-up

action on the development of an implementation plan.

In line with one of the Conference recommendations, a

joint ministerial task force on food security, comprising

the ministers of finance, trade and agriculture, met in

Lusaka on 13 July 2008 to tackle the food crisis

affecting the region.

Africa’s development needs were debated at the

highest level on Monday, 22 September. Concrete and

concerted action on the part of African States and their

cooperation partners is called for to help achieve

sustained and sustainable development on the

continent. Furthermore, we look forward to the

forthcoming Follow-up International Conference on

Financing for Development in Doha. It will be a unique

opportunity to address the various facets of

concessionary financing and to find new resources for

development.

More important, the Doha Development Agenda

should deliver on its promise of development through

increased trading opportunities as a means of

eradicating poverty. With regard to the World Trade

Organization negotiations, we join those who have

called for the talks to progress on the basis of what has

already been achieved. We remain fully committed to

the Doha Development Agenda and will contribute

constructively to the negotiations.

We support the effective and quick

implementation of the Aid for Trade Initiative, which

should take into account the priorities and needs of

beneficiary countries. At present, our limited industrial

capacity prevents us from taking full advantage of the

opportunities offered by globalization. On the regional

front, I am pleased to say that we have made major

strides in our integration process. The SADC Free

Trade Area was launched on 17 August 2008, and we

are aiming to fully liberalize trade by 2012.

Since the adoption of the 2001 Declaration of

Commitment on HIV/AIDS (resolution S-26/2),

increasing numbers of people have gained access to

HIV prevention and treatment in low- and middle-

income countries. However, many countries still have a

long way to go to meet the goal we set ourselves under

MDG 6 of achieving universal access to HIV

prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. The

high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa

continues to be a cause for alarm.

Engagement at the highest level is vital in the

fight against HIV/AIDS. The Mauritius National AIDS

Committee, under the chairmanship of The Honourable

Prime Minister, oversees the implementation of a

multisectoral HIV and AIDS strategic plan. That plan

provides for antiretroviral treatment free of charge to

all HIV-infected persons, voluntary counselling and

testing service and the implementation of a mother-to-

child transmission prevention programme. The

Government has also increased the amount allocated to

the fight against HIV/AIDS by 50 per cent in the

current budget.

As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the

adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

in December, we must remain unwavering in our

resolve to promote and protect human rights. Much

remains to be done to ensure that the basic rights of

individuals are universally protected. The Mauritian

Constitution guarantees that our citizens enjoy

fundamental rights in their everyday lives. The

National Human Rights Commission, the Human

Rights Centre, the Parliamentary Commission for the

Democratization of the Economy and the proposed

Equal Opportunities Act are important mechanisms for

the protection and promotion of human rights in our

country.

As an advocate of all human rights and

fundamental freedoms, Mauritius severely condemns

the decision of Myanmar’s military junta to prolong the

house arrest of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. My delegation

believes that the national reconciliation and full

democratization of Myanmar cannot be achieved

without the release of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and other

political detainees and without the participation of the

National League for Democracy in the political

process.

Situations of conflict and war inevitably give rise

to violations of human rights and to atrocities against

innocent civilians. Displacement and violent death

continue to be the lot of far too many in parts of the

Middle East, Africa and Asia. Mauritius has always

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supported the struggle of the Palestinian people and

their inalienable right to self-determination. We favour

the creation of a Palestinian State coexisting with the

State of Israel within secure and recognized borders. It

is through dialogue, negotiations and compromise by

both sides that lasting peace can come about in the

Middle East.

The deteriorating humanitarian situation in

Darfur remains a matter of grave concern for my

delegation. We urge all parties involved in the conflict,

especially the authorities, to exercise restraint in their

actions and to move towards a just and lasting solution

to the conflict. We welcome the power-sharing accord

reached in Zimbabwe. We hope that a Government of

national unity will bring peace, stability and

reconciliation to the Zimbabwean people, who have

suffered for far too long the brutal consequences of the

political crisis and economic meltdown.

The grave and pervasive threat of terrorism

knows no boundaries; no country is shielded from its

pernicious and devastating impact. Mauritius is

committed to the United Nations Global Counter-

Terrorism Strategy. It is imperative that we conclude a

comprehensive convention against terrorism as soon as

possible to reinforce the existing legal framework. In

June 2008, as part of its contribution to the

international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations, Mauritius joined the Global

Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.

We fully share the view of the President of the

General Assembly regarding the democratization of our

Organization. The ongoing discussions on the

revitalization of the General Assembly, system-wide

coherence, mandate review and management reform in

the context of the United Nations reform process

should be aimed at strengthening multilateralism. We

need comprehensive reform of the Security Council so

that it is able to meet the needs and respond to the

aspirations of the increasingly changing political

realities of the world.

We call for expansion of the Security Council in

both the permanent and non-permanent membership

categories and for improvement in its working

methods. Mauritius remains firmly committed to the

Ezulwini Consensus, which calls for two seats in the

permanent category and five non-permanent seats for

Africa. I should like to reaffirm once again the

unequivocal support of Mauritius for India to be a

permanent member of a reformed Security Council. We

also reaffirm our support for a Latin American and

Caribbean country to be a permanent member of a

reformed Council. Furthermore, we welcome the recent

unanimous decision of the General Assembly to start

intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council

reform in an informal plenary meeting of the General

Assembly by the end of February 2009.

The principles and objectives enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations should continue to guide

us in our actions. I would like to bring up once again

before the Assembly our legitimate sovereignty claim

regarding the Chagos Archipelago, including

Diego Garcia. The Archipelago was excised from the

territory of Mauritius by the United Kingdom prior to

our independence, in disregard of General Assembly

resolutions 1514 (XV) of 1960 and 2066 (XX) of 1965.

We have always favoured a settlement of the issue

through constructive bilateral dialogue. In that regard, I

wish to inform the Assembly that high-level talks are

under way.

The Government is very sensitive to the

aspirations of citizens of Mauritius to return to the

islands of their birth in the Chagos Archipelago. I wish

to recall here that they were forcibly removed from the

Archipelago prior to its excision from Mauritius.

Likewise, we urge France to pursue dialogue with

Mauritius on the issue of Tromelin. It is our firm

conviction that such bilateral dialogue will further

consolidate our historical and friendly relations with

both the United Kingdom and France.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that the United

Nations remains the most important and credible

international multilateral Organization for the

maintenance of peace and security and for building a

better and safer world. The President of the General

Assembly can rest assured of our unwavering support

in the work of the United Nations.