Address by
Hon. D. Virahsawmy, GOSK, FCCA, Minister of Environment & Sustainable Development
On the opening ceremony of the 3-day
FNR Rio Project Implementation Review Workshop
Second Project Steering Committee Meeting
St Georges Hotel, Port Louis
26 January 2011
Mrs Ng, Director, Department of Environment,
Mrs Asha Kannan, Representingthe United Nations Development Programme Country Office
Mr. Adamou Bouhari, Task Manager, Francophone Africa and Island States Focal Point, UNEP – GEF
Mr. Fazel Ashgar, Global Project Coordinator from UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Representatives of the Rio Conventions Secretariats
Members of the Press
Distinguished Guests,
Distinguished Participants and Members of the Project Steering Committee,
It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be in your midst today for the opening of the 3-day “FNR Rio Project Implementation Review Workshop and Second Project Steering Committee Meeting”. I would like, at the outset, to thank the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for having chosen our country to host thisimportant event. Today’s meeting is a follow-up of the work started in Cambridge U.K. in February 2010.
The project “Piloting Integrated Processes and Approaches to Facilitate National Reporting to Rio Conventions”, also known as the “FNR Rio Project” is being implemented on a pilot basis in six Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, namely Afghanistan, Eritrea, Laos People Democratic Republic, Liberia, Palau and Mauritius. This project is being implemented with the technical and financial support of UNEP-Global Environment Facility (GEF) and World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). The project aims at streamlining reporting under the Rio Conventions in a more harmonized and integrated manner, particularly in developing countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As a small island state with a fragile ecosystem and limited resources, Mauritius is fully conscious of the serious consequences resulting from the degradation of the global environment and its impacts on the quality of life, health and on the economy. Within our international cooperation strategy, we have signed some 38 Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and Mauritius was among the first countries to sign, in 1992,theRio Conventions, namely: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
As the focal point to these three conventions, my Ministry has been coordinating and implementing several projects to meet the increasing challenges of global crisis. With emerging pressures on our land, water and biodiversity resources, exacerbated by climate change, Government has developed the “Maurice Ile Durable” concept. In this context my Ministry has been assigned the portfolio for sustainable development.
I would like, at this juncture, to enumerate some of the main measures taken by my Ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders:
- Implementation of the Africa Climate Change Adaptation Programme comprising some 23 projects
- Coastal Protection Works and rehabilitation of beaches
- Implementation of Sustainable Land Management Projects
- Preparation of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
- Implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project
- Protecting Environmentally Sensitive Areas
- Implementation of sustainable consumption and production programme
- National Invasive Alien Species Control Strategy and Action Plan
- Public awareness campaign at national level on all environmental issues
- Reforestation and tree planting programme
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have closely monitored this project of international importance. I am pleased to inform that after the National Inception Workshop on the FNR Rio Project held last year, my Ministry has implemented the activities of the Action Plan agreed in U.K. The main one are:
- Hiring the services of a national consultant
- Holding of national steering committees and technical working groups
- Preparation and submission of reports within the deadline
I wish to highlight that reporting is an important binding requirement for all countries as per obligations under all conventions. Under the Rio conventions, my Ministry has, with the technical and financial support from GEF, prepared and submitted national reports to the different secretariats. The most recent ones are the Fourth CBD Report and the 2nd National Communication Report.
The preparation of these reports has required precious time and resources. This pilot project is therefore exploring opportunities for integrated processes for joint reporting of the Rio Conventions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to note that Mauritius has so far achieved the targets set under the FNR Rio Project thanks to the collaboration and synergy that exist among the various stakeholders involved in the national reporting process. I hope that the pilot project provides positive results and ultimately leads to joint reporting of Rio Conventions by all developing countries.
I therefore urge all member countries involved in this pilot exercise to renew their commitments for timely implementation of action plans to be set after this Second Project Steering Committee.
To conclude, I would like to place on record my heartfelt thanks to UNEP and GEF for the financial and technical assistance provided to Mauritius for the preparation of national reports under the Rio Conventions including this Pilot Project.
I seize this opportunity to congratulate GEF for its 20th anniversary and wish the organization success in its future endeavours.
I wish all delegates fruitful deliberations during the workshop and a pleasant stay in Mauritius. I hope youwill be able to spare some time to visit our island.
Thank you for attention.
I now have the pleasure to declare the workshop open.
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