Delivering Stronger, UNited for People, Prosperity and Planet

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) for Mauritius and Seychelles held their Annual Retreat entitled “Delivering Stronger, UNited for People, Prosperity and Planet”   from the 3rd to the 5th of April of 2024 in Mauritius.  It brought together UN agencies and their partners – Government, private sector and civil society - to strengthen cooperation and identify opportunities for new collaboration. 

During the Opening Ceremony at Maritim Hotel, Balaclava Ms Lisa Singh, UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles highlighted this as a pivotal moment for the UNCT marking the first cycle of implementation of the new Cooperation Frameworks for sustainable development signed last year with the governments of each country.

“Given the uniqueness of SIDS, many UN agencies have developed and are developing their SIDS strategy to better address their higher-than-average vulnerabilities to exogenous shocks. We also need to go beyond the small states narrative, for SIDS are more than small islands but large ocean states.”

Joining remotely the Hon. Sylvestre Radegonde Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Seychelles underlined:

“Through strategic planning and evidence-based approaches…we have the opportunity to affect change for every Seychellois and Mauritian. The loss and damage fund, the multi-dimensional vulnerability index and the outcomes of the forthcoming SIDS4 Conference are tangible steps that will supercharge the breakthroughs needed by us to achieve the shared vision of Agenda 2030 of leaving no one behind.  By analysing our challenges and successes we pave the way for the strategic implementation of this Cooperation Framework.”

In his opening remarks the Hon. Maneesh Gobin Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius and Government of Seychelles emphasized:

“Small Island Nations like Mauritius have unique inherent vulnerabilities which are often overlooked when it comes to resource mobilisation for development.  We need to go beyond the GDP per Capita criteria and rapidly devise a vulnerability index tailored specifically for SIDS which will enable small islands to mobilise the adequate resources needed to address the urgent development challenges and the existential threats posed by climate change. This should be a priority at the forthcoming SIDS4 Conference in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Panel discussions held during the Retreat comprised representation from across sectors to focus conversation on key headlight issues for each pillar of the Cooperation Framework (People, Prosperity, and Planet). They provided a platform for strategic dialogue to enhance collaboration across the UNCT and to collectively identify the pathways through which the UN will make a difference in the implementation of its Cooperation Frameworks. 

It was recognised that although both countries are experiencing outstanding sustainable development journeys, persisting challenges and vulnerabilities demand a proactively People-centred approach to ensure that UN interventions have a real positive impact on the lives and livelihood of people in Mauritius and Seychelles. 

Over the three days the participants looked at how joint action can drive change in the six transition areas positioning the UN as: 

• a strategic adviser, 
• a pivotal partnership broker, 
• and a provider of high-level expertise to install capacities, boost public and private investments in sustainable development priorities, and ultimately to build resilience and advance SDG transformation.

The Fourth International Conference on SIDS next month will be an opportunity to boost these ongoing efforts by fostering South-South and SIDS-to-SIDS cooperation, and joint action between Mauritius and Seychelles.