Mauritius: Alan Ganoo, GCSK, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, is currently on an official mission in the United Kingdom. He represented Mauritius at the celebrations of the Commonwealth Day on 13 March 2023 and participated in the first meeting of the newly reconstituted Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMA)] on 14 March 2023, followed by the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting (CFAMM) on 15 March 2023.
On Monday, 13 March 2023, the Hon. Minister was present at the Commonwealth Day Service graced by HM King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth Day Raising of the Flag for Peace Ceremony at Marlborough House.
On Tuesday, 14 March 2023, the Hon. Minister attended the First Meeting of the newly reconstituted CMAG. The CMAG was established by the Commonwealth in 1995 to act as the custodian of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values, addressing country situations where serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth values have occurred, agreeing on a series of measures which the CMAG should take in response to such violations while supporting the strengthening of democracy in member countries and enhancing the Commonwealth’s profile on the international stage.
Hon. Alan Ganoo recalled that this is the first time that Mauritius serves in the CMAG and reaffirmed our steadfast commitment to the purposes and principles of the Commonwealth. He also availed of the opportunity to commend the good offices of the Commonwealth Secretary-General for instiling the spirit of togetherness and integration in our shared commitments to and advocacy on peace and good governance.
The Minister also attended the Evensong organised by Westminster Abbey on the same day to celebrate the National Day of Mauritius and offer prayers to the Government and people of the Republic of Mauritius, in a brief meeting with the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, the Hon.
Minister and the High Commissioner of Mauritius to the UK expressed their appreciation for the valued ties which Mauritius enjoys with Westminster Abbey in our common wish for the collective good health and prosperity of the people within the Commonwealth family.
In the evening of the same day, Minister Alan Ganoo participated in the Ministerial Working dinner hosted by Hon. Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, during which he, amongst other things, called for concrete actions to address the challenges faced by small states and mobilise global attention and response to their unique inherent vulnerabilities.
Alan Ganoo also attended the CFAMM on 15 March 2023 which saw the participation of 29 Commonwealth Foreign Ministers. The CFAMM focuses on the implementation of the mandate given by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), including that held in June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.
This mandate currently centres on enhancing the resilience of Commonwealth Countries in times of multiple crises and addressing the associated impacts of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the spiralling food and energy costs. At the meeting, emphasis was laid on establishing a clear roadmap with concrete initiatives aimed at addressing these crises, building resilience and achieving the SDGs through risk-informed policies while giving due consideration to the specific concerns and needs of Commonwealth small states, including Mauritius.
During the meeting, the Hon. Minister Ganoo highlighted that the CFAMM was being held at a watershed moment against the backdrop of unprecedented circumstances and a cascade of crises affecting the world already weakened by a pandemic of historic proportion.
He also lauded the Commonwealth for providing a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, identify good practices and work to coordinate international policies which are responsive to our specific concerns and development needs.
A number of participating delegations as well as the Commonwealth Secretary-General, commended Mauritius in its capacity as host of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), a Commonwealth flagship initiative for unlocking climate finance, and as Chair of the Hub’s Steering Committee.
For his part, the Hon. Minister stressed the need for further Commonwealth advocacy and strategies for pioneering and innovative collaboration in response to the particular needs of small states, including emerging issues which are priorities for them.
He also drew attention to the need to adopt holistic approaches to climate-resilient development and sustainable growth. As a testimony to our involvement with the Commonwealth, Mauritius hosted two important Commonwealth Meetings last year – the Steering Committee Meeting of the CCFAH and the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting.
At the same time, Mauritius pursued its active engagements with the Commonwealth in various fields spanning human rights, blue economy, export promotion, climate change and youth and sports to leverage Commonwealth’s institutional, technical and human development support to bolster the country’s wide-ranging post-COVID-19 economic recovery and resilience-building strategies.
The Commonwealth is a unique grouping of 56 developed and developing nations spread over every continent and ocean in the world.