The year 2015 will be
a crucial one for the United Nations and the international
community. In the coming year, we will reach the
deadline for achieving the Millennium Development
Goals and adopt a post-2015 development agenda,
which will include our sustainable development goals.
In 2015, we should adopt a new, legally binding global
climate agreement. And the international community
will also commemorate the seventieth anniversary of
the founding of the United Nations.
At this juncture, we have to ask ourselves to
what extent we have achieved the ideals set out in the
Charter of the United Nations, and what is still to be
done. We must also ask to what extent the institutional
framework laid down almost 70 years ago is still valid
today. Inequality, both among and within nations, is
still a matter for great concern. In spite of the constant
references to the rule of law at national and international
levels, we still do not always have the possibility of
recourse to machinery adequate to resolving legal
disputes between States.
Within the United Nations itself, the principle
of equality is not always honoured, whether in its
constitutional framework or in practice. The twin pillars
of peace and security, on the one hand, and development,
on the other, as established by the Charter, have been
undermined by the ascendancy of political issues at the
expense of those of development, which are still often
seen largely in terms of safeguarding dominant interests
rather than from a perspective of global cooperation.
Inequality and vulnerability are increasing in rich
and poor countries alike. Unemployment, precarious
employment, lack of social protection, access to human
development services and financial services are still
matters of universal concern.
The post-2015 development agenda cannot be only
about human rights — civil, political, economic — at
the national level; it must also ensure that the right to
development is upheld at the international level. As we
work on a new, comprehensive development agenda,
we must ensure that no right is ignored and no one is
left behind. The United Nations System Task Team on
the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda
has proposed that the transformative efforts to achieve
inclusive, people-centred sustainable development
be guided by three fundamental principles — human
rights, equality and sustainability — and have four
core dimensions: inclusive social development,
environmental sustainability, inclusive economic
development and peace and security. Mauritius
is in broad agreement with those core principles
and dimensions, as outlined in the Team’s report
Realizing the Future We Want for All, for guiding this
transformation at both the national and international
levels.
The war against Ebola demands robust action
from all of us and requires exceptional international
cooperation. We welcome the initiatives announced
last week, and we commit ourselves to giving our full
support to addressing this global challenge.
The water we drink, the food we eat and the energy
we require are vital to meaningful development. It is
estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living
in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity,
and two thirds of the world’s population could be living
under water-stress conditions. One in eight people in
the world today — 842 million — are undernourished.
Approximately 2 billion suffer from micronutrient
deficiencies. In 2030, it is estimated that food demand
will have increased by more than 50 per cent. In that
regard, Mauritius supports the Secretary-General’s call
for a Zero Hunger Challenge. Promoting sustainable
agriculture must therefore be an essential component of
the new development framework.
It is also estimated that by 2035, global energy
demand will have increased by at least 33 per cent.
Currently, 1.2 billion people have no access to electricity.
Those growing demands will make water, food and
energy crucial issues not only on the development
agenda but also in the wider context of international
peace and security. The international community should
support developing countries, particularly vulnerable
countries such as small island developing States
(SIDS), in their efforts to promote water governance
and integrated water resources management, increase
the share of renewables in the energy mix and improve
energy conservation and efficiency.
In order to support global development, it is
crucial that we have an international regime based
on structured global cooperation designed to promote
technology facilitation, and a technology facilitation
mechanism established under the auspices of the
United Nations could play a central role in that regard.
It is also important that the international community
recognize the vital role of women and young people and
their enhanced participation and leadership in all areas
of sustainable development. Promoting gender equality
and women’s empowerment should be a core issue on
the post-2015 development agenda. All sections of the
population should be at the heart of a people-centred
vision of sustainable development.
The contributions of all the initiatives launched
at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20), including the Open Working
Group for Sustainable Development Goals, the
Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on
Sustainable Development Financing, and options for
a technology facilitation mechanism, should feed into
the preparations for a 2015 development summit. They
should also be included in the Secretary-General’s
synthesis report. The deliberations of the Third
International Conference on Small Island Developing
States, mandated by the Rio+20 outcome document
(resolution 66/288, annex), should be reflected in the
synthesis report and the post-2015 development agenda.
Since accountability is essential to assessing
progress, the post-2015 development agenda should
also include an accountability framework that would
be universal but flexible enough to take into account
different capacities and responsibilities. And we need
more accountable and equitable global economic
governance that ensures wider, more inclusive
participation in decision-making. The United Nations,
given its universal membership, should assume
leadership and a proactive role in promoting sound
and equitable governance in a more resilient global
economic architecture.
Beyond those immediate concerns, there are a
number of longer-term threats that may dramatically
affect all of us, particularly SIDS. One of them is climate
change. Climate risks are real and must be addressed.
From melting glaciers to more frequent wildfires and
intense cyclones, flash floods, extreme heatwaves and
ocean acidification, the challenges are not a future
threat; they already exist. The latest report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate
Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability,
made it clear that an increase in the world’s temperature
of 2°C would be dangerous, while one of 4°C would be
catastrophic.
Climate risks are global challenges that require
global solutions. Climate change poses risks to global
economic prosperity, development and security as well
as to the environment. We must build on the momentum
of the Climate Summit and use the opportunity of the
20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, to be held in Lima, to raise the level of ambition
in the lead-up to a new universal climate agreement in
Paris next year.
The strong connections between climate change
adaptation and disaster risk reduction should be
recognized. No country is immune to natural disasters,
but it is the most vulnerable countries and people who
are hit the hardest. Mauritius looks forward to a renewed
and ambitious international framework for disaster risk
management that establishes disaster risk reduction as
a key element of the post-2015 development agenda.
We also believe that the exogenous risks of climate
change and natural disasters should be integrated into
mainstream economic thinking and assessment of
macroeconomic risks.
We welcome the decision of the most recent
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to
establish a Commonwealth climate finance skills hub,
to be hosted by Mauritius. It will address critical gaps
in building the capacity of SIDS and least-developed
countries to identify, access and manage climate
finance. The special circumstances, vulnerabilities and
low resilience of SIDS should be taken into account with
regard to financing and trade issues. SIDS need special
and differential treatment to access concessionary
sources of financing for sustainable development
and to effectively participate in multilateral trade.
Mauritius strongly supports SIDS-SIDS partnerships.
SIDS can build on their commonality of interests to
share experiences, pool resources and act collectively
in commissioning technology or formulating legal and
regulatory frameworks, for instance.
The oceans are the new frontier for economic
development. For SIDS in particular, they are the
best scope for expanding economic space. Following
a national dialogue on the ocean economy, the
Government of Mauritius has published the Road Map
for the Mauritian Ocean Economy. The Road Map sets
out the vision, goals and strategies for the development
and expansion of a new pillar of our economy. In order
to provide the best possible conditions for investors to
operate and create wealth, Mauritius is putting in place
an enabling environment that will support our ocean
economy through an integrated and holistic approach to
ensure coherence and balance among economic growth,
social development and environmental protection.
Promoting the ocean economy will unleash the
potential for SIDS with respect to all ocean-related
economic activities, both onshore and offshore. It will
also enable them to enhance their nations’ food security,
harness the winds and waves for their energy needs,
develop new ocean-related industries and services that
will create opportunities for entrepreneurs and youth
employment.
It is essential that we strike a balance between
the various uses of the oceans and the need to protect
our oceans. At the third International Conference on
Small Island Developing States, held in Samoa, the
international community agreed to build upon existing
partnerships and promote new ones in order to expand
the economic space of large ocean States. We wish to
reiterate our call for the United Nations to adopt a global
oceans strategy that will be the operational counterpart
to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS). While it will be for individual States
to decide on their own ocean economy policies, the
global ocean strategy will provide an overall vision and
framework for the sustainable development of ocean-
related economic activities for policymakers, investors
and all stakeholders.
The situation in the Middle East and in certain parts
of Africa could not only have dramatic consequences
for the people of these regions, but also impact on global
development and peace. We urge the international
community to spare no effort in resolving the plight
of the people of Palestine. Mauritius supports the two-
State solution to the conflict. The people of the State
of Palestine have suffered for too long from the grave
injustice done to them, and must be allowed to live in
dignity and peace within recognized borders.
If it is to remain credible and play the constructive
role it can and must play in the new world order,
the United Nations must respond to the call of its
membership for reform. We have a duty to engage in
meaningful discussions on the reform of the Security
Council, the revitalization of the General Assembly and
the working methods of our Organization. Mauritius
reaffirms its commitment to the African Common
Position that reform of the Security Council should
include expansion in the permanent and non-permanent
categories alike. The historical injustice done to Africa
should be redressed, and Africa should be accorded
permanent representation on the Council. Latin
America also deserves permanent representation, and
the SIDS should be entitled to a seat on the Council.
Mauritius further reiterates its support for India’s
rightful aspiration to a permanent seat in a reformed
Security Council.
In the mid-1960s, when a wave of decolonization
was sweeping across the world, the United Kingdom
purported to create a new colony, the so-called
British Indian Ocean Territory, by carving out part
of the territory of Mauritius. Thus, part of Mauritian
territory remains under colonial rule. As long as part
of Mauritian territory remains under colonial rule, the
decolonization of Africa will still remain incomplete.
The dismemberment by the United Kingdom of part of
the territory of Mauritius prior to independence was
and continues to be a blatant breach of international law
and total disregard of United Nations resolutions.
Speaking before the Assembly last week, President
Obama said that there was
“one vision of the world in which might makes
right” [but that] “America stands for something
different. We believe that right makes might, that
bigger nations should not be able to bully smaller
ones” (A/69/PV.6, p. 10).
This is why, last year in this very forum (see
A/68/PV.18), Mauritius urged the United States to be
on the right side of history, and not condone illegal acts
by maintaining its presence on Diego Garcia under an
unlawful arrangement with the United Kingdom that
has no valid title to the island, but and instead to ensure
that, in the future, the United States presence is on the
right side of the law.
Both the United States and the United Kingdom
should recognize the sovereignty of Mauritius over
the Chagos archipelago, and engage in meaningful
discussions with Mauritius in good faith over
arrangements to be made in that regard. Following
the statements we have heard over the past year with
regard to sovereignty and territorial integrity, there
should not be one set of standards for one part of the
world and a different one for another part of the world.
Those who show no respect for fundamental principles
across the board lose all moral authority to preach to
the rest of the world. Following bilateral discussions
on Tromelin, which forms an integral part of the
territory of Mauritius, Mauritius and France agreed on
interim measures without prejudice to the sovereignty
of Mauritius. An agreement reached in a spirit of
cooperation and dialogue is a step in the right direction.
As we embark on a new session that could herald
a new chapter in the history of the United Nations,
we should renew our commitment to multilateral
cooperation for peace, development and prosperity for
all nations in the new agenda to be adopted next year.