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The Sustainable Development Goals in Mauritius
The Sustainable Development Goals in Mauritius are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Mauritius:
Publication
08 May 2023
2022 UN Country Annual Results Report Mauritius
The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Mauritius is pleased to present the Annual Results Report 2022. The report highlights progress on implementing the United Nations-Government of Mauritius Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) 2019-2023. The SPF is aligned to national priorities, the SAMOA pathway, Africa Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Recovery to resilience was the theme of the year for the United Nations family in Mauritius. 2022 was a year of uncertainty and mixed outcomes for the country. Post-pandemic economic recovery, driven by an acceleration in tourist arrivals, meant GDP returned to 2019 levels. On the other hand, inflation and other global disruptions overlapping with the effects of the pandemic and climate change meant further challenges to achieving Agenda 2030. As such the UNCT took a forward-looking, systems-thinking approach to enable collective efforts and greater synergies for longterm development while adapting to an ever-changing environment.
In 2022, United Nations programmes in the areas of education, health, decent work, and culture focused on institutional capacity building, policy strengthening, knowledge generation, awareness raising, and technology transfer, to address systemic challenges and contribute to improved results. For example, United Nations technical assistance was provided to ensure that the government’s Housing and Population Census adhered to international standards; develop the National AIDS Secretariat’s first annual operational plan for 2023; enhance workers' fundamental rights; and strengthen government capacity to engage Mauritian diaspora youth for national development. The year also marked the global Transforming Education Summit in response to the crisis in education. The convening power of the United Nations brought together stakeholders for national consultations, which contributed to new commitments by the government to a more resilient and responsive education system.
To bolster economic transformation the United Nations rolled out key initiatives, such as the launch of the SDG investor map to promote private capital investment. Facilitating access to appropriate and innovative technology the United Nations worked with the fishers, tea growers and small-scale farming communities to cement the resilience of food systems through sustainable agricultural practices.
Positioning the island as a safe and environmentally sustainable tourist destination, the United Nations provided technical assistance and training to Airport Mauritius and the tourism industry on protecting employees and customers against the risks posed by COVID-19. At regional level, the United Nations supported Mauritius to integrate with the other six trial countries selected to be part of the "African Continental Free Trade Area Guided Trade Initiative”, which was established so business can be conducted without being subjected to tariff barriers.
As the guardian of a large ocean space with an Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.3 million km², the issue of maritime security is vital for Mauritius. A National Action Plan was developed with support from the United Nations to combat illicit fishing, drugs, and trafficking of persons with maritime law enforcement empowered to include regional joint operations at sea.
Mauritius, as a small island state, is disproportionately vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change. Providing expertise, technical and financial assistance, United Nations agencies joined forces to identify innovative solutions to increase climate resilience. Initiatives included monitoring the blue carbon storage capacity in seagrass; small-scale reef rehabilitation; habitat restoration and attraction of seabirds to Ile aux Aigrettes; piloting the potential for seaweed fertilizer; and advancing the circular economy and waste management, to name a few.
Gender was cross-cutting. Specifically, the United Nations system provided technical assistance to the Parliamentary Gender Caucus. To support women’s economic advancement in agriculture and redress inequalities in the sector, gender training was provided to government officials. Meanwhile unskilled and unemployed women were empowered through capacity building initiatives to support education and income generation.
The United Nations family places partnership at the heart of its work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Mauritius for the continued confidence it places in the United Nations. We appreciate the support of all our partners, including the Development Partners Group, multilateral development actors, regional cooperation bodies, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia and others. I have no doubt that by continuing to engage in results-driven coordination we will make the transformative changes necessary to not only recover but also become more resilient and accelerate towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
As the current SPF comes to an end, we appreciate the government’s commitment taking visible ownership and active engagement in the design of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and look forward to its successful implementation from 2024.
Ms. Lisa Simrique Singh
UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius & Seychelles
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Story
02 February 2023
It's Time for Wetland Restoration
The magnificence of wetlands lies not in their scenic beauty, but as valuable life-sustaining ecosystems. To raise global awareness and increase understanding of the essential importance of wetlands the United Nations marks World Wetlands Day on the 2nd February. This day also commemorates the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands. An intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 with the mission to contribute to sustainable development through “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation” which now has a global membership of 172 countries. Mauritius ratified the Wetlands Convention on 30 May 2001.
Wetlands play a critical role for humanity and the planet as biodiversity hotspots. Forty percent of all plant and animal species, many of which are endangered, live or breed in wetlands. They are sources of fresh water, protecting against soil erosion and flooding, and the planet’s greatest natural carbon stores. Wetlands are also crucial to livelihoods, with over a billion people worldwide making a living from fishing, aquaculture, and tourism.
Covering an area of 401 hectares (imagine the scale - a football pitch is just under one hectare), Mauritius has three designated wetlands conservation Ramsar Sites:
Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary (the first Ramsar Site in Mauritius) is of international significance due to 14 regularly visiting migratory birds, and for three species of endemic plants.
Pointe d'Esny provides a rare example of a subtropical mangrove forest providing a habitat for endangered plants and native butterflies.
Blue Bay Marine Park is protected for its unique underwater seascape and diversity of coral, marine fauna, and flora.
The ecologically rich coastline of Mauritius with near-shore wetlands and mangroves, lagoon coral, fringing coral reefs, and all their associated marine life has come under pressure in recent years. This has threatened the dynamic lagoon system, which provides livelihoods for fisher communities and tourism alike. Sadly, this is part of a global trend. More than 35% of natural wetlands have been lost in the last 50 years. Human activities are driving degradation. Wetlands are being drained and filled in for crops, grazing, and construction. Water pollution and overfishing are harming wetland ecosystems, along with invasive species. These activities are exacerbated by climate change fueling the rise in sea levels and storms changing coastal wetlands.
In recognition of the need to stop and reverse the trend this year’s World Wetland’s Day theme “Your choices, your voice and your actions can trigger a restoration trend” is a call to action to all key stakeholders, including members of the public. Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands reminds us:
"With only seven years left until 2030 for us to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, time is of the essence for sure."
The UN family in Mauritius is working with development partners to advocate for policy change to protect and sustainably manage coastal and marine ecosystems and wetlands.
For World Wetlands Day 2023, we’re calling on people to take action in three specific ways:
Conscious choices to minimize our own impact on wetlands.
Persuasive voices to educate and activate others to get involved in wetland restoration.
Bold actions and taking part in wetland restoration efforts locally.
You can be part of the solution to save and restore these precious ecosystems.
Our actions have an impact. One small action can trigger a ripple effect.
#GenerationRestoration #ForWetlands #WorldWetlandsDay
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Video
02 May 2023
World Day of Safety and Health At Work
World Day of Safety and Health at Work calls for a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle & right at work. Let's join ILO to help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries as we strive to Leave No One Behind in our journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Publication
02 May 2023
Newsletter UNCT Mauritius & Seychelles
We are pleased to share with you the first quarterly newsletter providing a snapshot of the UN family’s work in Mauritius and Seychelles for the period January – March 2023.
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Story
22 March 2023
World Water Day 2023
In March five engineering students from the University of Mauritius were announced as one of the winning entries for the UNESCO World Engineering Day Hackathon 2023. The global competition challenged students to come up with innovative solutions to real-world problems linked to Sustainable Development Goals 2 Zero Hunger, 3 Good Health and Well-being, and 6 Clean Water and Sanitation.
While exploring ideas for their entry the Mauritian students were inspired by one of their team-mate’s experiences facing a water crisis on the island of Rodrigues. The region is affected by periods of drought. This leads to a scarcity of clean water from the desalination plants and boreholes for consumption. Consequently, much of the population uses rainwater directly from household storage tanks. However, due to fallen debris and the growth of bacteria in the tanks the water can become unsafe leading to intestinal health problems. To address this critical issue related to SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation - Team Aqua-Smart was born. The students designed a rainwater harvesting system building on existing technologies of solar water heaters and rainwater tanks that are used by each household in Rodrigues.
In 2015 the world committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including Goal 6 that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030. With less than 7 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda we are seriously off-track. The health, education, and livelihoods of billions of people are being disrupted because their human rights related to water and sanitation have not yet been fulfilled.
Although team Aqua-Smart began their project with the intention of addressing the challenges around SDG 6 they soon found that their design would also impact SDGs 3 Good Health and Well-being, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production and 13 Climate Action. Team member Zeeshan Bughalee explained:
“SDGs are interlinked a single solution can tackle a lot of problems.”
This interconnected nature of the SDGs means they should not be viewed in individual silos but must be addressed across sectors. In this way, challenges throughout the water cycle are undermining progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace. Equally, climate change is disrupting the water cycle, causing droughts and floods impacting the livelihoods and well-being of communities.
‘Accelerating Change’ is the theme of this year’s World Water Day. This message to act is aimed at everyone across all sectors of society BECAUSE water affects us all. No one government or institution can solve this crisis alone. Empowering our young people is key as underlined by Aqua-Smart team member Eugenie Gontran:
“Youth are not bound by traditions, and we are tech savvy so we can bring new perspectives. We think outside the box as we’ve been brought up in the generation of rising technology.”
In his message for World Water Day the UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that WATER is the lifeblood of humanity. Each one of us has a role in protecting and using WATER sustainably to preserve it for present and future generations. The passion and innovation of the Aqua-Smart team demonstrate this. And shows when young people today are given the opportunity, they can become drivers for change.
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The members of team Aqua-Smart are University of Mauritius third-year engineering students: Hirthikraj Dabeeah, Zeeshan Bhugalee, Eugenie Gontran, Toolsee Devi Ramjeet, and Sahebally Mohammad Hammaad Ali.
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Story
10 May 2023
Joint SDG Fund Project: South-South Collaboration for Food Systems
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has taken the lead in promoting a new partnership between two influential institutions - the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institution (FAREI) from Mauritius, and the Seychelles Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture (SIAH) - to advance sustainable agricultural practices in their respective countries. This initiative is consistent with the Joint SDG Fund Project, which was launched in 2022 to encourage south-south cooperation between Mauritius and Seychelles in the area of climate-smart agriculture.
Given their shared status as Small Island Developing States, Mauritius and Seychelles are faced with similar challenges, particularly in terms of food security. Currently, Mauritius imports a significant proportion of its food supplies (77%), while Seychelles produces only a small fraction of the agricultural produce that it consumes (2.2%). Both countries are grappling with issues related to land scarcity and climate change and must shift to more sustainable agricultural practices to enhance their food security. The Joint SDG Fund Project has provided support to Mauritius to produce bio-fertilizers from seaweed, and sustained Seychelles’ efforts to adopt climate-smart agricultural techniques such as aquaponics, hydroponics, and sheltered farming to reduce its population's reliance on imported food.
Sharing knowledge for climate-smart agricultural production
Following consultations on seaweed fertilisers in Seychelles last week, stakeholders from UNDP, FAREI and SIAH convened to another peer-to-peer meeting in Mauritius on April 3, 2023. The meeting explored the potential benefits of enhancing collaboration between the two island nations in the area of agriculture and discussed the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FAREI and SIAH. The MOU, once drafted and validated, will potentially facilitate knowledge sharing between the two institutions and contribute to the development of more resilient food systems in both countries.
This series of exchanges held in Mauritius over two days, included visits to FAREI's infrastructure, discussions with representatives from the Department of Agriculture of the University of Mauritius, and interactions with smart agriculture farmers, including beneficiaries of the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme. This initiative represents a promising stride towards achieving greater food security in both countries and underscores the power of collaboration and cooperation in advancing sustainable development.
Article originally appeared on the UNDP Mauritius & Seychelles website on 4 April 2023.
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Story
02 May 2023
World Press Freedom Day 2023
The World Press Freedom Index is an evaluation of the environment for journalism in 180 countries and territories compiled by the international NGO Reporters without Borders (RSF). Mauritius improved by one place moving to 63rd this year. The Index recognised that the country is one of Africa's model democracies but highlighted as problematic the increased online attacks on journalists.
The report also shined the light on the global challenge of disinformation campaigns bolstered by artificial intelligence technology weakening journalism and undermining the right to information.
On this World Press Freedom Day, the UN in Mauritius shares the message from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
******START******
For three decades, on World Press Freedom Day, the international community has celebrated the work of journalists and media workers.
This day highlights a basic truth: all our freedom depends on press freedom.
Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy and justice. It gives all of us the facts we need to shape opinions and speak truth to power. And as this year’s theme reminds us, press freedom represents the very lifeblood of human rights.
But in every corner of the world, freedom of the press is under attack.
Truth is threatened by disinformation and hate speech seeking to blur the lines between fact and fiction, between science and conspiracy.
The increased concentration of the media industry into the hands of a few, the financial collapse of scores of independent news organizations, and an increase of national laws and regulations that stifle journalists are further expanding censorship and threatening freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, journalists and media workers are directly targeted on and offline as they carry out their vital work. They are routinely harassed, intimidated, detained and imprisoned.
At least 67 media workers were killed in 2022 — an unbelievable 50 per cent increase over the previous year. Nearly three quarters of women journalists have experienced violence online, and one in four have been threatened physically.
Ten years ago, the United Nations established a Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists to protect media workers and end impunity for crimes committed against them.
On this and every World Press Freedom Day, the world must speak with one voice.
Stop the threats and attacks.
Stop detaining and imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs.
Stop the lies and disinformation.
Stop targeting truth and truth-tellers.
As journalists stand up for truth, the world stands with them.
****** END ******
For more information: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom
and https://rsf.org/en/2023-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-threatened-fake-content-industry-0
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Story
05 April 2023
UN-Government Retreat to accelerate a transformative development agenda
Over the past 6 months, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) for Mauritius and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius have been collaborating to design a new strategic partnership document. The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2024-2028) will be co-owned and co-signed by the UN and government and aligned to the National Development Plans and priorities. This strategic document will provide the overall strategy and plan to contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
One of the principal events associated with UNSDCF formulation is a two-day Strategic Prioritization Retreat (SPR). The SPR co-hosted by the UNCT and the Government of Mauritius was held on 20 - 21 March 2023 at the Westin Hotel, Mauritius. The purpose of the SPR was to agree and further refine with the government and other key stakeholders the priority areas shaping the future cooperation framework. An important milestone event the SPR engagement was built on themes and focus areas for UN collaboration arising from the independent evaluation of the existing Strategic Partnership Framework (SPR) (2018-2023), UN Common Country Analysis (CCA), and consultations with government, civil society, academia, and private sector.
The SPR brought together a cross-section of around 80 representatives from major partners and stakeholders in the country including ministers, other government officials, the private sector, civil society, academia, and UN agencies to think strategically about risks and how to address risks and vulnerabilities within the unique context of the country. With less than ten years left to achieve the SDGs, the UNCT for Mauritius aims to design a Cooperation Framework in partnership with the government that is strategic, succinct, adaptable, and results-oriented and which integrates Leave No One Behind (LNOB) as the core unifying principle.
In her opening remarks, United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) Ms. Lisa Simrique Singh applauded the significant progress that Mauritius has made as an exemplar in the region in achieving high levels of human development. She also commended the Government’s ambition to accelerate the energy transition, climate action, and the SDGs despite the financing challenge for Mauritius as an upper-middle-income country. Reminding participants that, as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Mauritius’ development trajectory remained at significant risk, the Resident Coordinator underscored that resilience would be a feature of priorities and actions going forward. The importance of partnerships was highlighted. In conclusion, to convey the sense of urgency with only 7 years to go before 2030 Agenda, the Resident Coordinator quoted UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres:
“The choices we make, or fail to make, today could result in further breakdown and a future of perpetual crises, or a breakthrough to a better, more sustainable, peaceful future for our people and planet.”
In his keynote address, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and International Affairs, Mr. Joyker Nayeck outlined that the Government is currently consulting on its priorities, which will be formally announced in its upcoming Budget Statement. He expressed the government’s gratitude to the UN for ongoing assistance across a variety of issues while recognizing the need to build deeper and broader partnerships with a range of stakeholders to ensure greater agility and responsiveness to needs. He reminded participants that Mauritius is vulnerable to climate change – sea level rise, coastal erosion, plastic pollution, acidification, including far-off geopolitical conflicts which expose the country to price shocks. The Secretary for Foreign Affairs reinforced Mauritius’ dedication to pursuing the SDGs and the need to set clear priorities, accelerate actions and address challenges for the progress of society. As he concluded Mr. Nayeck encouraged the participants to view SPR as an important consultative space and a “laboratory of ideas”.
A high-level panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative, on behalf of the UNCT. Panellists included:
Prof. Mohammad Issack Santally, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academia), University of Mauritius
Mr. Suraj Ray, Chairperson of the Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS)
Prof. Hubert J Gijzen, UNESCO Regional Director
Dr. Sen Narrainen, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development
Ms. Celine Lemmel, Chief of Mission, IOM
The questions posed initially to the panelists led to lively and insightful conversations and dialogues with all the participants. Some key themes to emerge included the focus on people-centred development; a new UN approach with partnerships across the development spectrum; and strengthened attention to vulnerabilities, risks, and disruptors, in particular in food systems with energy and water systems closely allied. A triad of mutually reinforcing transformations to strengthen resilience was identified i) towards a green Mauritius; ii) the blue economy and; iii) digitization.
During the afternoon of day one, and the morning of day two, a series of group foresight exercises were held to encourage the UN and government participants to think strategically to jointly identify the key challenges and priorities to address in support of the SDGs and national development priorities. Based on the participants’ inputs from the SPR outcomes and inter-agency outputs will be reviewed to ensure a high-quality, risk-informed strategic document for Mauritius. The draft cooperation framework will be shared for validation in April.
In her closing statement the UN Resident Coordinator reinforced the UN’s intention to deliver as one through interagency collaboration. She recognized that the new cooperation framework provides an opportunity to take a focussed approach to encourage transformative change that is sustainable, contributes via clear UN comparative advantages, using systems thinking, incorporating enablers, and mobilising its convening power to energise the participation of all partners.
The Hon. Mr. Alan Ganoo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade in his closing remarks reflected that Mauritius has a proven track record, adept at reinventing itself, transitioning from an economy that has evolved from agrarian to knowledge-based with a wide spectrum of business activities, and which is committed to sustainable growth, inclusiveness and resilience, and to leaving no one behind. He reminded the participants of the continued importance to invite fresh thinking and new approaches to meeting sustainable development needs due to inherent vulnerabilities as a ‘SIDS’ in a competitive and volatile world. Further he reiterated that sustainable development is only impactful if it benefits everyone in society especially the most vulnerable. Minister Ganoo stated:
“Our greatest strength remains our people, especially our youth”,
hence, opportunities for youth, harnessing their powers, and continuously boosting capacities, is required. The honourable minister concluded by recognizing that the SPR provided a unique and invaluable opportunity to discuss development challenges in the context of the new anticipated Cooperation Framework. He expressed his gratitude to all partners at the SPR, in particular to the UNRC, and to whole UN system for its dedicated support to Mauritius.
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Story
09 February 2023
World Pulses Day
Being a small island state means that Mauritius can face challenges around making sure the population has reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Linked to this vulnerability is the inequitable impact of climate change and its effects on the country’s food systems. World Pulses Day is celebrated on 10th February, giving us the opportunity to highlight the benefits of this superfood in terms of nutrition, food security, and the environment.
Pulses, nutritious seeds
Humans have been cultivating pulses since the dawn of agriculture, and they were one of the first plants in the world to be domesticated. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the lead agency for World Pulses Day, pulses are among the most nutritious crops on the planet. Every time dried beans, broad beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas are used, both sides of the nutrition problem are addressed, namely quality and quantity. These are the key ingredients of a healthy diet.
Some main benefits of pulses are listed in the table below:
They also contain a lot of carbohydrates and fibre, which slows down digestion. Not only does this process make you feel full, but it also helps control blood sugar and insulin levels, making it an ideal food for diabetics. With this noncommunicable disease being one of the top 10 causes of mortality (2019) in Mauritius as reported in the World Health Organization (WHO) “Country Cooperation Strategy 2023-26”, a diet high in pulses can only be beneficial to supporting a healthy lifestyle.
Pulses as a climate-smart crop
The challenge facing the world today is how to produce enough food for a growing population without further degrading natural resources and exacerbating the consequences of climate change. Pulses are climate smart: growing them helps fight against soil erosion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improves carbon sequestration, which is good for the planet. The cultivation of pulses not only helps to fight against climate change, but also has a beneficial effect on soil biodiversity because they do not need nitrogen fertilizers. When pulses are planted in the soil, micro-organisms are activated and considerably increase the fertility of the soil. This self-sufficiency avoids the emission of greenhouse gases, which are a by-product of the production and use of nitrogen fertilizers.
Pulses, a tool for food security
Pulses are a low-cost crop for farmers thriving in dry lands with a long shelf life. Ninety percent of the world's pulses are produced by 100 million farmers who grow them in drylands. Because they require less water than other crops, they can be grown in climates where rainfall is scarce or erratic, where other crops die or show low yields.
Read more about how pulses contribute to achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-pulses-day
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Story
08 February 2023
The Future of Science is Women
Science is a way of building knowledge and generating solutions for everyday life. It helps us solve human, animal and plant diseases, understand water and climate change, and lead us to innovations that make the world a better place. Science must be accessible to everyone across the world, especially to women and girls.
February 11 is an annual recognition and celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS), a day that reminds us to work towards improving access for women and girls to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and research, and creating a conducive and favorable environment for female scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. Despite celebrating the IDWGIS for the past 8 years, UNESCO’s Director General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay reports that just one in three researchers is a woman and only just over 35% of graduates in STEM-related fields in higher education.
And yet, it is clearly acknowledged that increased female participation in science is key to tackling major global challenges such as major diseases, climate change, and natural disasters and developing more equitable, inclusive, effective, and sustainable responses to these threats,
In this year’s statement on the auspices of IDWGIS, UNESCO’s Director General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay has stressed the importance of closing the science gender gap by taking concerted, concrete measures to overcome stereotypes and biases that prevent women and girls from realizing their full potential. Ms. Azoulay reiterated that at:
“UNESCO, where we work to build peace in the minds of men and women, addressing these stereotypes is a priority – because more women in science means better science. This conviction underpins all our work in this domain, and is enshrined in our Recommendation on Open Science, adopted by all our Member States in 2021”.
UNESCO is working to foster equitable and inclusive environments with Partners such as Intel to close the science and digital divide by encouraging girls to pursue science courses by offering them scientific mentorship opportunities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Through this initiative, millions of girls will be mentored by women scientists who have broken the glass ceiling and are pioneering scientific breakthroughs in their respective fields.
This year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science will celebrate the achievements of these women and provide encouragement, support, and opportunities for girls to be engaged in the wealth of scientific fields led by women that will define all our futures. For this to happen, governments need to devise concerted and creative new solutions to enable girls and women to seize new and emerging STEM opportunities in the artificial intelligence and automation age; without them, women will definitely fall further behind in the scientific and technological world of work.
Two of the Winners of the 2022 L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science sub-Saharan Africa Young Talents Awards are women from Mauritius. They have forged successful academic careers in the fields of Science and Technology - Bibi Nausheen JAFFUR, Ph.D. student in Engineering Sciences and Technology – ‘Biopolymer production from plant fibres’ and Bibi Yusra RUHOMALLY, Ph.D. student in Formal Sciences – ‘Modelling illicit drug use dynamics using NERA model’. Their achievements in these areas can serve to encourage more girls to take up STEM subjects and careers.
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Press Release
15 June 2022
First Multi-Sector Policy Dialogue between the Government of Seychelles and the United Nations Country Team
The first Multi-Sector Policy Dialogue between the Government of Seychelles and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), was held on 19 May 2022.
The Dialogue was organized as an open and constructive exchange between Seychelles’ Ministers and other representatives from both the Government and the UN, in order to reflect on the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to identify priority areas of support and cooperation for the next UN-Seychelles Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF 2024-2028) in parallel with the country’s National Development Strategy (NDS).
The UN Resident Coordinator expressed the commitment of the United Nations through collective engagement to contribute to Seychelles development aspirations, moving from recovery to sustainable development, with a focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The two co-chairs recognised the excellent collaboration that exists between Seychelles and the United Nations, which extends over a broad scope of areas. The delegates exchanged experiences and best practices on possible cooperation on a number of issues of common interest, including the priority areas outlined for the next NDS, namely Transformative Economy, Environment Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Law and Order, Health, Social Affairs, Education and Culture.
Minister Radegonde and the UNRC Umutoni also acknowledged the role that the United Nations can play in advocating for Seychelles’ priorities and vulnerabilities as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). Both sides also agreed to work in synergy as a way forward, for the benefit and improvement of the socio-economic development of the country, post COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Radegonde took the opportunity to reiterate the appreciation of the Government for the continued support of the United Nations Agencies towards Seychelles.
The High-Level Policy Dialogue represents one of the key outcomes of the UNCT Annual Retreat being held in Seychelles from 18 to 20 May 2022.
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Press Release
15 June 2022
Winners Announced SDG Youth Photo Competition
15 June 2022 - The United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in partnership with Business Mauritius is pleased to announce the winners of their first photograph competition, “Narrating the Sustainable Development Goals through the Eyes of the Youth”. The contest was an opportunity for young people around Mauritius to submit entries that illustrate why the Sustainable Development Goals are important to their lives and to their country.
Involvement in arts and culture empowers young people to get their voices heard because artistic endeavours can encourage people to look at challenging issues in a different way, speaking straight to our hearts, and igniting imaginative and innovative solutions.
Open from 21 February until 30 April 2022, the contest received over 300 entries from young participants across the Republic of Mauritius. They were reviewed by a committee of 8 judges who selected 3 winners and 7 runner-ups for two age categories minors (12-17) and youth (18-25).
The winners for each category are:
Rank
Minor Category (12-17)
Youth Category (18-25)
1
Muhammad Hashim Kheedeer
1 Anoja Luxmi Devi Appadoo
2
Camille Wiehe
2 Luiciano Roussety
3
Cooper Preston
3 Group entry:
Ruttun Nadia Bibi Sumayyah
Koodoye Jhasvee
Luchmiah Divya
Davishtee Ramalingum
Ramsaran Souvina
Sabapathee Jeshinee
Bholah Bhavna
4
Camille Wiehe
4 Luiciano Roussety
5
Marie Ange Abbigayle Claite
5 Roushdana Bibi Saniyya Aungnoo
6
William How
6 Luiciano Roussety
7
Sanniah Allyboccus
7 Nathaniel Roland
8
Elodie Affouan
8 Group entry:
Teesha Boojhawon
Nandinee Nundoo
Ritika Teeluck
Trisha Balchurn
Trishna Balchurn
Nekhi Bhoyroo
9
Abdur-Rahmaan Muhammad Bin Nadeem Boodun
9 Mahatma Vidura Sukhari
10
Keshav Teeluckdary
10 Group entry:
Teesha Boojhawon
Nandinee Nundoo
Ritika Teeluck
Trisha Balchurn
Trishna Balchurn
Nekhi Bhoyroo
SBM Bank and Rogers Group have kindly provided sponsorship through the donation of generous prizes to the top 10 competition winners for each age category.
Cash prizes for winners through the SBM Amigos voucher:
1st – MUR 50,000
2nd – MUR 30,000
3rd – MUR 20,000
Top 10 winners for each age category will receive an organised visit from Rogers Group to Bel-Ombre Biosphere to showcase various SDGs, including the Yellow Submarine (Goals 4, 14 &17), Bis Lamer at CBeach (Goals 4, 14), World of Seashell Visit (SDG 14), giveaway of local produce from Agria (SDG 12), glass bottom session (SDG 14), rehabilitation of River Jacotet where each young person an plant a tree (SDG 15) and visit to Feypalmis (SDG 12).
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Press Release
26 May 2022
Launch of PAGE UNEP-FI and UNIDO Reports
With funding and technical assistance from Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) the reports entitled Greening the SMEs: Improving SME Access to Green Finance in Mauritius; and Industrial Waste Management - Cost Structure Review in Mauritius prepared respectively by UNEP-FI and UNIDO responded to the Mauritian Government’s commitment to transform Mauritius into an environmentally sustainable and inclusive country.
Since 2014, to date Partnership for Greeb Economy (PAGE) has worked closely with the Mauritian Government to achieve its national vision which sets a clear path for a transition to an inclusive green economy. The Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives has been an instrumental partner in the completion of the two reports that have been launched today.
The UN Resident Coordinator Her Excellency Ms. Christine Umutoni in her address recognized that
“Mauritius is setting an example about how to win this fight against climate change,” by looking to scale up green financing and embracing the idea of circular economy in its industrial waste management.
She went on to assure the full support of the UN family in supporting the Government of Mauritius in mobilising financial and technical resources to help Mauritius achieve its climate objectives and build resilience. She applauded the model of PAGE where many agencies come together to work on a joint program. This ensures coherence and better efficiency.
The Honorable Soomilduth Bholah, Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives pointed out that both the reports come at an opportune time to address challenges in the global area, which impact two key growth engines of the Mauritian economy, SMEs and manufacturing.
The Honorable Minister thanked the UN PAGE partners “for their strong commitment in supporting Mauritius in its endeavor to place sustainability in the centerpiece of its national development goals.”
The publication Greening the SMEs: Improving SME Access to Green Finance, by UNEP-FI seeks to assess the level of integration of environmental sustainability in the financing of SMEs in Mauritius. It examines the current state of green finance frameworks, practices and structures relevant to the financial sector and the potential to scale up green financing for the SME sector allowing increased access to green finance opportunities.
The second publication by UNIDO: Industrial Waste Management - Cost Structure Review by UNIDO aims to enable an effective industrial solid waste management (SWM) and facilitate the development of a Circular Economy for the enhancement of enterprises´ competitiveness. The activities carried out along the study respond to part of the recommendations of the previous 'Industrial Waste Assessment in Mauritius' report that PAGE produced in 2016-2017, with the collaboration of the then Industry Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Consumer Protection, UNIDO and Business Mauritius. Overall, it recommended to integrate the management of industrial waste (IW) with municipal waste with similar characteristics and to proceed towards the definition of the cost structure and policy gaps in several segments.
In continuation with Industrial Waste Assessment UNIDO study, the following sectors were assessed: textile and wearing apparel, chemicals and chemical Products, food products (Poultry, Seafood, Beverages and Bottling sub-sectors), printing and reproduction of recorded media and construction materials.
About PAGE
PAGE is an inter-agency UN initiative established in 2013, bringing together the expertise of five UN agencies – UNEP, ILO, UNIDO, UNDP and UNITAR, which work closely with national governments to provide a comprehensive and coordinated package of technical assistance, policy support and capacity building services to interested countries to develop, adopt and implement green economy policies and strategies.
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Press Release
15 February 2022
United Nations and Mauritian Government hold a consultative workshop to explore Green Recovery initiatives
Pointe aux Piments: The United Nations and Government of the Republic of Mauritius co-organized a Consultative Workshop on the United Nations / Government Joint Initiatives Towards Green Recovery and Long-Term SDG Planning on Thursday 10 February. The one-day workshop was launched at Le Meridien Hotel by United Nations Resident Coordinator H.E. Ms. Christine N. Umutoni and by the Honourable Maneesh Gobin, Attorney General and Minister for Agro-Industry and Food Security.
The workshop was conducted using a hybrid format. There were 50 participants who attended in-person, and over 76 participants joining in virtually from countries world-wide. The Government of the Republic of Mauritius, private sector and civil society organisations were all represented.
The participants had the opportunity to take stock of progress towards the implementation of United Nations (UN) and Government joint interventions to deal with the nation’s social and economic recovery challenges posed by the pandemic. The workshop also provided an open forum for discussion around strategies and financing to ‘build back better’ using more inclusive and green approaches to recovery. It is proposed that long-term integrated strategies are necessary to accelerate towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2030.
Presentations included:
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) projects in Mauritius, namely with regards to support provided to the SME and agricultural sectors.[1]
UNDP on the progress of the 2020 Socio-Economic Response Plan (SERP) developed to assist the Government to prepare for and protect people from the immediate impacts of the pandemic and plan for recovery. Some key Green Recovery achievements include: analytical work on private sector investment in circular economy; implementation of E-health programme; and tourism recovery planning.
UNDESA and UNITAR about the value and importance of long-term strategic planning and the support that the UN system can provide to the government of Mauritius.
UNDESA innovative mechanisms for SDG financing through the Integrated National Financing Framework methodology.
During her welcoming remarks at the workshop, the Resident Coordinator gave an overview of the global, regional and national context for the United Nations and Government of Mauritius’ collaboration. Commenting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic she stated: “The crisis started as a public health one, and rapidly became a complex economic and social crisis. COVID-19 has highlighted food security issues and created challenges in key economic sectors.”
The Honourable Minister Gobin in his address to the participants referred to ongoing impacts of the pandemic and climate change, stating, “Let us shake ourselves and wake up to the new reality.” He emphasised that Green Recovery is not only a climate or environmental matter. It touches on all aspects of our economy and society. As such, if we are to achieve a Green Recovery, an integrated and coherent approach needs to be taken - one that embraces all 17 of the SDGs.
The workshop concluded with a pledge from the Honourable Minister Gobin in his role of Minister for Agro-Industry and Food Security for his continued support of the partnership with the UN and their comprehensive approach to green recovery and the SDGs.
Media Contact: Janee Connery, Communications Officer | +230 5500-9908
[1] PAGE is an excellent example of the ONE UN approach of UN agencies working together and in partnership with multiple local stakeholders to further Green Initiatives and Recovery in a coherent and inclusive manner. The 5 participating UN agencies in Mauritius are United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITER).
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Press Release
17 September 2021
UNESCO peer exchange shares African experiences in collecting cultural indicators
The hybrid meeting united 26 participants, including the physical participation of 12 representatives from the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage of Mauritius and the National Statistics Office together with 14 online participants from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, and the Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO as well as culture staff from UNESCO field offices in the Africa region and UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
The meeting aimed to share guidance from the UNESCO 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) 2009 Framework for Cultural Statistics, and the UNESCO Culture|2030 indicators framework, while also sharing experiences and lessons learned from Kenya and Zimbabwe, which are already engaged in the process of collecting cultural indicators.
Dr. (Mrs.) N. Luckheenarain, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mauritius, provided the opening remarks for the meeting. She announced that the Government of Mauritius plans to establish a dedicated statistics unit to collect cultural indicators and analyze data on the contribution of culture to sustainable development in Mauritius.
A video intervention by Dr. (Ms.) Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, provided an introduction and overview of the UNESCO Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda (Culture|2030 Indicators), which is a framework of thematic indicators whose purpose is to measure and monitor the progress of culture’s enabling contribution to the national and local implementation of the Goals and Targets of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Mr. Georges Boade, Senior statistical Advisor for the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) based in Dakar, Senegal gave a presentation on the 2009 Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS), which presents international standards and methodology developed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics for the measurement of the economic and social impacts of culture. He announced that UIS will launch the process for updating and revising the 2009 Framework through consultations that will start in 2022.
Dr. (Mr.) Biggie Samwanda, Director of Arts, Culture Promotion and Development for the Zimbabwean Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, gave a presentation on the long and rich experience of Zimbabwe in collecting cultural indicators, which dates back to 2016 and includes participating in the UNESCO Culture for Development Indicators Suite (CDIS) –the previously used advocacy and policy tool to assess the multidimensional role of culture in development processes through facts and figures (Note: CDIS has since been replaced by the Culture|2030 Indicators). He highlighted the broad consultation undertaken in Zimbabwe in partnership with the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency ZIMSTATS, using a participatory approach to involve a wide range of stakeholders in the development, review and finalization of the country’s process for collecting cultural indicators. For the National Census in 2021, ZIMSTATS will include items on the questionnaire that collect cultural data. Dr. Samwanda also announced that the Zimbabwe Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation is also carrying out a national survey in 2021 to collect more statistical data on the cultural and creative industries (CCI) sector. The information collected through the national CCI survey and census, as well as annual meetings of key stakeholders, will also be used to prepare Zimbabwe’s next quadrennial periodic report on implementation of the UNESCO 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which in turn informs their national Culture Policy and measures to support the cultural and creative industries sector in Zimbabwe.
"I would like to express my thanks to UNESCO for organizing these peer exchanges, which empower us to grow together as we share our various experiences." - Dr. Biggie Samwanda, Director of Arts, Culture Promotion and Development, Zimbabwe
Ms. Emily Njeru, Deputy Director of the Culture Programme at the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, shared Kenya’s experience launching the process for collecting cultural indicators, which began in 2018 following Kenya’s participation in a UIS Survey on implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.4.1. The Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO has been mobilizing national stakeholders including the National Bureau of Statistics, Kenyan Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, Kenyan Film Commission and Copyright Board as well as county governments and civil society organizations to learn about UNESCO best practices and other standards established for the collection of cultural indicators. They also reviewed past studies and data, including evaluating the reliability of available data. The Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO then began focusing on awareness raising and capacity building with the aim of developing a standard tool for the collection of data on the culture sector from local governments. They developed and tested a pilot tool based on the UIS Framework for Cultural Statistics and tested it in a few counties, but they soon realized that more capacity building would be needed to ensure the terms and process were well understood and the data was collected and reported accurately. Through support from a UNESCO Participation Programme grant in 2020, the Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO has been leading a series of capacity building workshops in different counties to train key stakeholders in collecting, analyzing and reporting data on the culture sector in Kenya. Seventy-five participants have been trained to date, with more trainings planned in 2021. Three local experts from NGOs in Kenya were also trained in the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators through an online training in June 2020. The Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO has now established a national team for cultural indicators, which includes some of the trained experts from civil society together with representatives from the National Bureau of Statistics to design a local training programme.
"We have been working with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics to harmonize the national statistical classification for productive activities/economic activities with the 2030|Culture indicators with a view to develop a framework for production national cultural statistics." - Ms. Emily Njeru, Deputy Director of the Culture Programme, Kenya National Commission for UNESCO
The meeting was closed by Mr. Islam Bhugan, Director of Culture at the Mauritius Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage. He expressed gratitude for the experiences shared by Zimbabwe and Kenya as well as the guidelines from UNESCO, which will inform the methodology Mauritius puts in place for the collection of cultural indicators.
For more information, please see:
UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators
UIS 2009 Framework for Cultural Statistics
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