Download 12.06.21 RIO Statement - Ministry of Environment and

STATEMENT BY
THE HONOURABLE DEVANAND VIRAHSAWMY, G.O.S.K
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS
AT THE
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
21 JUNE 2012
Check against Delivery
Mr. President
I bring to you the greetings of the people of Mauritius and salute
the government and people of Brazil for their warm hospitality.
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Mr. President
We have travelled a long way since the first Rio Conference when
the international community boldly resolved to tackle the
environmental challenges to our planet. Today, the global debate
focuses on Sustainable Development of which the environment
remains an essential pillar. My country welcomes the holistic
approach to development which takes on board both the human
dimension and Nature. Those of us who have always believed
that in pursuing the goals of development we must Put People
First, are now more than ever convinced of the need to achieve
progress for our nations in Harmony with Nature. Development
cannot be meaningful unless it is sustainable.
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Mr. President
Climate change has reduced crop yields and water availability,
threatened catastrophic sea level rise
endangering the very
existence of millions of people particularly in the SIDS.
With the ever more evident effects of the combined economic,
financial, social and environmental crises, the stark reality is that
existing economic models and patterns do not always work.
Mr. President
Mauritius has already embarked on a plan to mainstream
sustainable development in its socio-economic development and
making sure that economic growth is harmonized with social
development and environmental protection.
To maintain the path of sustainability, my Prime Minister
launched in 2008 a national program, the Maurice Ile Durable3
MID, a societal project that seeks to transform the Economic,
Social and Environmental landscape of Mauritius. The MID
national Policy and 10-year Strategy is being developed in a fully
participative and democratic manner.
The MID Strategy is a
comprehensive roadmap towards the green economy and
creation of green and decent jobs, land use planning, water
conservation,
food
security
and
sustainable
agriculture,
conservation and protection of natural resources, energy
efficiency, renewable energy production and building resilience
to climate change.
Water availability which is a major concern in Mauritius due to
changing rainfall patterns largely attributed to climate change, is
being addressed by sensitization to water saving measures and
the construction of new dams.
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The MID programme provides for increasing the share of
renewable energy in our energy mix from the current 18% to 35%
by 2025 whilst improving energy efficiency.
Mr. President
Mauritius, like other SIDS, is faced with the constraint of limited
land space. We stand at the dawn of a new era in land use
planning and development. Significant changes are taking place
in our economy to cater to the needs of our population which is
growing at 0.5% annually. These will have a direct impact on land
use. Against this backdrop, we need to strike the right balance
between development and protection of our environmental
assets.
The recent Government Programme 2012-2015 provides for the
appointment of a High Level CLEWS Panel which will ensure an
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integrated approach to all policies relating to Climate, Land,
Energy and Water Strategies.
My country is also particularly vulnerable to the rapidly changing
global food system resulting from rising and volatile prices of
basic food commodities and climate change. In addition, our
efforts to increase domestic food production face the challenges of
decreasing soil fertility, and scarcity of irrigation water. Food
Security is consequently one of the major objectives of our
country which imports about 77% of its food.
Mr. President
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As an Island State, our social and economic development is
inextricably linked to the sustainable management and use of
coastal and marine resources and the opportunities of an Ocean
Economy.
The development of a new pole of our economic transformation
around an Ocean Economy, is an acknowledgement that our sea
area, which is eleven hundred times larger than our land mass,
should play a significant role in shaping and securing the longterm prosperity of our Country.
However, we are also alive to the challenges that the
development of an Ocean Economy faces as a result of climate
change and other anthropogenic pollution. Apart from the
fisheries and tourism sectors, the other economic potential of the
oceans around us is currently being assessed. The full realization
of this potential will depend on crucial factors such as funding,
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transfer of technology and capacity building. We look forward to
the support of the international community, both public and
private sectors, as well as, specialized academic and financial
institutions, in developing our sustainable Ocean Economy.
Mr. President
Mauritius would like to underscore the special challenges that
Small Island Developing States, face for their future development
as a result of climate change and environmental degradation.
SIDS are adopting appropriate measures towards mitigation and
adaptation by re-formulating their development model through
Green initiatives.
Greening the economy will imply a major restructuring of the
economy and require massive investments. For SIDS, the
transition to a Green Economy is achievable if adequate financial
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and technical support are available. In this regard, there is a need
for a change in the policy of allocation of developmental
assistance by the International Financial Institutions, with a view
to supporting sustainable development projects of developing
countries and SIDS.
Small Island Developing States should not be denied access to
concessional finance from international financial institutions
based on an arbitrary GDP criteria established several decades
ago. We therefore call upon international financial institutions
and the United Nations to address this issue expeditiously.
Moreover, green economy initiatives should not be converted or
misused as green protectionism by developed countries and
become an obstacle to the development of SIDS.
Mr. President
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There could not be a more timely moment to achieve meaningful
political commitments to sustainable development. Every nation
on earth has the responsibility to make its own proportionate
contribution to a more sustainable world.
Mauritius urges the international community
(i)
To
enhance
the
global
environmental
institutional
architecture to support the implementation of sustainable
development initiatives and
(ii)
To develop and adopt a set of new Sustainable
Development Goals to follow from the MDGs, post 2015
to guide progress towards achieving fair, equitable and
ambitious development for all nations.
Mr. President, Excellencies and distinguished delegates let us
create a world where prosperity doesn't come at the expense of
the environment or of social development,
where sustainability
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and profitability go hand in hand,
and where development is
created on a long-term basis.
Thank You
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