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.