May I begin by congratulating Mr. Dennis Francis on his election as President of the General Assembly at it seventy-eighth session. I also wish to convey my appreciation to Mr. Csaba Korosi for his sterling leadership of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also deserves our gratitude for his inspiring and commendable initiatives in furthering the objectives of our Organization.
It is a matter of great pride to see a fellow islander preside over the proceedings of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, especially at a time when the world is faced with a myriad of interlocking challenges amidst conflicts, climate chaos, inequality and hunger. Let me assure him of the commitment of Mauritius to the principles that the United Nations stands for. and the hopes and aspirations that we all have in the United Nations. Mauritius is firmly committed to fulfilling its responsibilities as a Member of the United Nations.
Let me also seize this opportunity to express to the Governments and the peoples of the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Libya our solidarity at this tragic moment.
The theme of this year’s general debate could not be timelier. It is about how we can together restore confidence in our shared future — confidence between people and leaders, confidence in our institutions and among countries. Unless we urgently begin to rebuild this trust, it will prove impossible to tackle the challenges we have to face. No country, no matter how powerful or wealthy, can succeed in tackling the current challenges on its own. Our fate and fortunes have never been so closely linked.
Indeed, the world is at a critical inflection point as it faces unprecedented and interlocking crises, with the multilateral system being under greater strain. The information and communications technology revolution has increased connections and complexities in our daily lives. The list of problems is daunting, from a lingering coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, climate change, declining biodiversity, food and energy insecurity, cybercrime, terrorism, large-scale migration, gender inequality and a general pushback against human rights, to inadequate development financing, increasing debt burdens and geopolitical crises.
Our national borders are no match for those challenges. Effective multilateral response is the only way to address geopolitical challenges and rescue our common agenda. We have to give new direction to multilateralism and to the United Nations. We need to restore trust in multilateralism. As leaders of the world, we should lead by example, show our unwavering commitment and honour the promises made. More importantly, we need to uphold fairness and justice.
In that regard, finding consensus on such crucial priorities as poverty eradication, renewable energy, education and women’s empowerment is paramount. The Sustainable Development Goals serve as our guiding compass on that journey. In a world marred by inequalities, our commitment to uplifting the marginalized and empowering the vulnerable must remain steadfast. We must ensure inclusivity where every individual feels safe and secure. Our society’s strength lies in its diversity.
An efficient education system is vital in order to achieve such inclusivity. Everyone will need to possess an evolving pool of knowledge, skills and capacities, or else we will have a two-speed world deepening inequalities and exacerbating global instability. We need to build an integrated system of lifelong learning and ensure equity, access and inclusion in relevant curricula. We should work together towards harnessing digital tools and increase investment in education so that it is recognized as a global public good.
The surge in health challenges. from non-communicable diseases to global pandemics like COVID-19, underscores the importance of global unity. By fostering cooperation and sharing resources and expertise, we can ensure universal access to the highest standard of health care in order to protect the vulnerable and strengthen our global resilience.
Scaled-up action to reduce emissions to align with goals set forth in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is becoming imperative. Even within the 1.5°C goal, the small island developing States (SIDS) are facing an existential threat. Exceeding that threshold would be catastrophic. To secure a sustainable future, we must collectively phase out fossil fuel usage and hasten the just transition to sustainable energy sources, targeting net zero emissions globally by 2050.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sixth assessment report has already warned that further delay will mean missing “a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”. SIDS like Mauritius wrestle with coastal erosion, marine pollution, and coral bleaching. Sea-level rise and climate-related disasters loom large. Mauritius is facing a rise in sea level of 5.6 millimetres annually, almost twice the global average of 3.3 millimetres. Those compounding challenges heighten our inherent vulnerabilities and imperil our sustainable development objectives.
As leaders, it is our duty and responsibility to save the planet for our future generations. Mauritius is spending about 2 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on environment and climate change-related policies. Our Climate Change Act serves as the cornerstone of our commitment to fulfilling our obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and other related instruments on climate change. In order to build our resilience. Mauritius has implemented a series of adaptation measures such as coastal rehabilitation, mangrove propagation and flood management programmes. We have also formulated a nationally appropriate mitigation actions for low-carbon strategy.
Mauritius is also committed to implementing a series of adaptation and mitigation measures aimed at reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 per cent and achieving 60 per cent of energy production from green sources by 2030. In order to ensure the successful implementation of our national determined contributions, a total of $6.5 billion is required. Despite the economic constraints, we have been able to commit $2.5 billion. Our challenge is to secure the remaining $4 billion.
Indeed, all SIDS need adequate and predictable support, including climate finance, from the international community. We call on the international financial institutions and development partners to ensure that access to climate finance by SIDS is simplified and made easier. We look forward to the swift operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed upon at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. That facility represents hope for those in urgent need and cannot remain a mere promise. Developed countries must urgently deliver on their promise made 14 years ago at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Copenhagen, to provide climate finance of $100 billion per year. As it is. that amount is no longer sufficient, so there is a need to
make the scale of climate finance commensurate with the challenge through the new collective quantified goal on climate finance.
We urge the international financial institutions to recognize that GDP per capita is not the sole measure of a country’s development. We call on the international financial institutions and development partners to use the multidimensional vulnerability index developed by the United Nations as a tool in further integrating SIDs vulnerability into their decision-making. SIDs are hopeful that the fourth International Conference on SIDS in Antigua and Barbuda will deliver a more focused, measurable and fully resourced programme of action that is tailored to the circumstances of SIDs.
We look to the Summit of the Future in 2024 to address issues of financial stability, promote financial inclusion and debt sustainability and embrace sustainability. We call for an inclusive and equitable global governance and not a finance divide. Mauritius believes firmly that the SDG Stimulus and the Bridgetown Initiative can accelerate progress towards the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.
The United Nations report SIDS in Numbers: Biodiversity and Oceans projects that Mauritius will become a water-stressed country by 2025. barely two years from now. It is my Government’s top priority to ensure the continuous supply of clean and safe water to every citizen. We will continue to invest in water storage capacities to face the effects of climate change and achieve long-term water security.
The ocean, on which we are all dependent, is a critical reservoir of marine biodiversity. Mauritius welcomes the adoption of the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, and I am pleased to inform the Assembly that Mauritius has signed the agreement. That historic legally binding instrument is a victory for multilateralism and international law and a game-changer towards the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. We encourage all countries to sign and ratify the agreement so that it can enter into force as soon as possible.
In the same vein. Mauritius reiterates its invitation to States, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to support the marine protected area that Mauritius will be establishing around the Chagos archipelago. We also look forward to the finalization of the international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and to ensuring its effective implementation.
Democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights are fundamental values that every country must respect and abide by. The instability in some parts of Africa is detrimental to progress. Upholding the rule of law is essential to restoring faith in governance, fostering stability, and enabling sustainable progress on the continent. The peaceful transition of power through democratic means is the only way to ensure peace, development and prosperity.
We proudly welcome the admission of the African Union as a member of the Group of 20.
We reaffirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people and reiterate our unwavering support for the two-State solution, as we recognize its potential to bring lasting peace and stability to the region. We commend the recent step taken to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and hope that the Palestinian people will be able to live in freedom in their own State.
As we navigate through an increasingly complex path, it is crucial that we adapt our global institutions to effectively address the challenges of the twenty- first century. The Security Council has a vital role to play in maintaining international peace and security. However, it no longer reflects the realities of the modern world. Urgent reform of the Security Council and the revitalization of the General Assembly are essential to strengthen the United Nations for future generations.
Amidst the Ukraine-Russia conflict. the international community must relentlessly pursue peaceful dialogue. We commend African nations and other mediators for their vital role in that regard.
It is now four years since the International Court of Justice gave its advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos archipelago from Mauritius prior to its independence. The International Court of Justice made it clear that the Chagos archipelago is an integral part of the territory of Mauritius and invited the colonial Power to withdraw its administration from the archipelago as rapidly as possible. Ever since, the Government of Mauritius has made a strong commitment to implementing a programme of resettlement in the Chagos archipelago for Mauritian nationals, in particular those of
Chagossian origin, who have suffered historic injustice by being forcibly removed from their birthplace. We are hopeful that they will soon be able to resettle in the Chagos archipelago. Indeed. Mauritius and the United Kingdom have started negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, on the basis of international law. We hope that those talks will lead to the completion of the decolonization process of Mauritius and enable Mauritius to implement its resettlement programme.
We also appeal to France to resolve the dispute over Tromelin. which forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius, in the spirit of friendship that characterizes the relations between the two countries.
We are at a crossroads. We do not want to be judged by the next generation for having been complacent. Let us seize this opportunity to recommit to forging the future we want for us and for our future generations. I remain confident that we will discover the common purpose needed to restore trust in our shared future.