Foreword
Resident Representative
UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles
Foreword
Like the rest of the world, Mauritius has continued to face persistent uncertainties rebuilding the economy since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although the country had successfully stamped out the widespread community infection from COVID-19 in 2020, the resurgence of local cases resulted in the second national lockdown from 10 March 2021. Government instituted gradual easing until October 1 when the economy was fully reopened. The country was expected to close the year with a GDP growth of 4.4 percent, lower than the 5 percent projected by the IMF. This was not unexpected given the slow recovery of the tourism sector and the pressure imposed on businesses, with 65 percent operating normally as opposed to 78 percent in 2020.
The negative impacts of the pandemic combined with the 2020 oil spill have continued to compound other vulnerabilities faced by the country. In May, Mauritius had 293 reported cases of domestic violence in just 18 days, mostly perpetuated against women – a similar trend registered in 2020.
By virtue of its status as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Mauritius is continually threatened by the impact of climate change which further constrains its ability to withstand other shocks. At the inter-ministerial council meeting of 28 September 2021, the Prime Minister noted Mauritius is in a ‘state of climate emergency’. In 2021, Mauritius ranked 51st in disaster risk- a deterioration, after ranking 53rd in 2020.
Despite these challenges, the Government remained proactive in its response, with the 2021-2022 budget announcing a forward-looking agenda focused on boosting investment, shaping a new economic architecture and restoring confidence. The country is also on course to devise comprehensive economy-wide reforms to address pre-existing structural challenges to bounce back better.
Key among these reforms is the re-orientation of the tourism sector to target high value tourism segments such as silver tourists and digital nomads, and expansion of reach beyond the traditional tourism markets; building integrated business continuity systems in the public sector to build system resilience; and systematically attracting private sector investment in priority areas.
Mauritius has also maintained its commitment to mitigate the impact of climate change, in part by aiming to reduce overall GHG emissions by 40 percent in 2030, and laying emphasis on green energy as a new pillar of the economy. Building on the foundation set in 2020, the Government also continued to invest in making health systems stronger and more resilient. In boosting the health response, the Government is also cognizant of the need to integrate health infrastructure with other productive sectors of the economy to achieve impact at scale.
The support of the UNDP in addressing the above development challenges was anchored in the UN-Socio-Economic Response Plan (SERP) for Mauritius, based on which manifold results have been achieved.
Resident Representative
UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles
Like the rest of the world, Mauritius has continued to face persistent uncertainties rebuilding the economy since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Although the country had successfully stamped out the widespread community infection from COVID-19 in 2020, the resurgence of local cases resulted in the second national lockdown from 10 March 2021. Government instituted gradual easing until October 1 when the economy was fully reopened. The country was expected to close the year with a GDP growth of 4.4 percent, lower than the 5 percent projected by the IMF. This was not unexpected given the slow recovery of the tourism sector and the pressure imposed on businesses, with 65 percent operating normally as opposed to 78 percent in 2020.
The negative impacts of the pandemic combined with the 2020 oil spill have continued to compound other vulnerabilities faced by the country. In May, Mauritius had 293 reported cases of domestic violence in just 18 days, mostly perpetuated against women – a similar trend registered in 2020.
By virtue of its status as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Mauritius is continually threatened by the impact of climate change which further constrains its ability to withstand other shocks. At the inter-ministerial council meeting of 28 September 2021, the Prime Minister noted Mauritius is in a ‘state of climate emergency’. In 2021, Mauritius ranked 51st in disaster risk- a deterioration, after ranking 53rd in 2020.
Despite these challenges, the Government remained proactive in its response, with the 2021-2022 budget announcing a forward-looking agenda focused on boosting investment, shaping a new economic architecture and restoring confidence. The country is also on course to devise comprehensive economy-wide reforms to address pre-existing structural challenges to bounce back better.
Key among these reforms is the re-orientation of the tourism sector to target high value tourism segments such as silver tourists and digital nomads, and expansion of reach beyond the traditional tourism markets; building integrated business continuity systems in the public sector to build system resilience; and systematically attracting private sector investment in priority areas.
Mauritius has also maintained its commitment to mitigate the impact of climate change, in part by aiming to reduce overall GHG emissions by 40 percent in 2030, and laying emphasis on green energy as a new pillar of the economy. Building on the foundation set in 2020, the Government also continued to invest in making health systems stronger and more resilient. In boosting the health response, the Government is also cognizant of the need to integrate health infrastructure with other productive sectors of the economy to achieve impact at scale.
The support of the UNDP in addressing the above development challenges was anchored in the UN-Socio-Economic Response Plan (SERP) for Mauritius, based on which manifold results have been achieved.
Key Results/Highlights
Following the 2021-2022 budget policy on investing in rebuilding the tourism sector, UNDP’s effort has focussed on supporting the Government to reconsider the national tourism strategy. This engagement, which will conclude in the first Quarter of 2022, focuses on extensive analysis of market and tourism potential; creating market value; devising strategies for diversification away from traditional markets, and market segments; strengthening inter-sectoral linkages; and strengthening the SME ecosystem to capture the market opportunities.
The UNDP Country Office in Mauritius also invested in enhancing public sector efficiency to build agility and resilience of the country in times of crisis. Within the health sector, several key results were registered in the establishment of a comprehensive integrated e-health system which, if successfully implemented, could position Mauritius as a model country in the sub-region. First, ahead of the official opening of borders on 1 October 2021, the online infrastructure for border opening was improved to facilitate travel, reduce congestion at the airport and track passengers for testing and follow-up. Second, the testing of COVID-19 has been decentralized while integrating results with the Central Health Laboratory (CHL). In the wider public sector, emphasis has been on the establishment of a work-from-home protocol in the public service, and strengthening IT-enabled business continuity systems to guarantee health and safety and attain organizational resilience.
Actions on gender equality and women’s empowerment were sustained at Parliament and the Judiciary levels. The Government was supported to ensure that parliamentary processes including legislative frameworks are engendered through capacity development of legislative members and high-level policy makers. With the increased cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the GBV Mobile Application “LESPWAR” for community safety was also upgraded. The UNDP strengthened the country’s capacity to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change through several strategic engagements. The Nationally Determined Contributions were updated with support from the UNDP Climate Promise Initiative, with commitment to reduce Green House Gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. This will entail production of 60 percent of energy needs from green sources, the total phasing out of use of coal and an increase in energy efficiency by 10 percent. The Country Office also supported the Installation of a 14 MW Grid-Scale Battery Energy Storage System to enable high capacity storage of renewable energy in the grid. This will enable a smarter, modern and cleaner electricity network.
The engagement of the UNDP in the recovery and development efforts built on lessons learned from the preceding years, and facilitated scalability and sustainability of results. The Mauritius Country Office continued to provide technical leadership to ensure the effective implementation of the UN Socio-Economic Response Plan (SERP) and was engaged at different levels. First, the UNDP participated in several implementation committees- as co-chair (with the Ministry of Finance) of the Coordination Committee, represented by the Resident Representative; co-chair (with the Ministry of Finance) of the sub-committee on Macro economy, represented by the Senior Economist, and as a member of the Steering Committee co-chaired by the Resident Coordinator and Secretary to Cabinet in the Office of the Prime Minister. Second, UNDP was involved in the mobilization of resources to support the implementation of the three pillars of the SERP – (i) Health System Strengthening, Prevention and Containment, (ii) Promoting Social Protection for Vulnerable groups, and (iii) Socioeconomic Impact Assessment and Early Recovery Planning. Third, UNDP was also involved in surveys and diagnostic studies to inform engagement across the pillars of the plan.
A number of actions have also been taken to support the Government of Mauritius under the Prevention, Response and Early recovery Project (PREP) namely: the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) that has now been rolled out to all regional hospitals and clinics. IT equipment has been purchased and training provided, and the COVID-19 module has now been integrated into the LIMS. The Government has provided an additional USD 290,000 for the PREP, which is also contributing to food security with the implementation of an e-commerce market platform for the agriculture sector. The PREP initiative has adopted a holistic strategy, and various activities such as the Laboratory Information Management System, the E-Health project, the E-Commerce trading platform for agriculture sector, and the Business Continuity Planning, can positively impact the lives of Mauritians. The project also enables the Government to adopt state of art technologies and be resilient during pandemics while, at the same time, promoting accountability, transparency and efficiency. It has also supported the COVAX Vaccination Programme and setting up of the COVID-19 Testing Centre.
Towards Agenda 2030
The UNDP Country Office supported the Rodrigues Regional
Assembly to prepare its first SDG progress report. This is one of the first subnational reports that provides statistics on each of the goals, highlighting areas of investment to address data gaps. The preparation of the report was overseen by the SDG Committee of the Regional Assembly. It will be published in the first quarter 2022 upon approval by the Assembly.
In an effort to support innovative resource mobilization to deliver
on the SDGs, the UNDP also started the preparation of an SDG investor map for Mauritius, to attract private capital to priority sectors with
a high multiplier effect on the achievement of SDGs. Following an extensive consultation held in 2021, the investor map will be concluded in the first quarter of 2022. Drawing on the successes registered
in Mauritius, the investor map will be prepared for the Government
of Seychelles in 2022.
Towards Agenda 2030
The UNDP Country Office supported the Rodrigues Regional Assembly to prepare its first SDG progress report. This is one of the first subnational reports that provides statistics on each of the goals, highlighting areas of investment to address data gaps. The preparation of the report was overseen by the SDG Committee of the Regional Assembly. It will be published in the first quarter 2022 upon approval by the Assembly.
In an effort to support innovative resource mobilization to deliver on the SDGs, the UNDP also started the preparation of an SDG investor map for Mauritius, to attract private capital to priority sectors with a high multiplier effect on the achievement of SDGs. Following an extensive consultation held in 2021, the investor map will be concluded in the first quarter of 2022. Drawing on the successes registered in Mauritius, the investor map will be prepared for the Government of Seychelles in 2022.
Signature Solutions
Signature Solutions are integrated responses to development challenges against which we align our resources and expertise, to make real impact.
The Country Programme Results
Inclusive development, gender equality and social protection, and public sector efficiency
The Country Programme Results
Inclusive development, gender equality and social protection, and public sector efficiency
The UNDP played an instrumental role in supporting gender-sensitive COVID-19 recovery efforts through several strategic engagements. First, there was emphasis on supporting reforms aimed at structural transformation to re-orient key sectors of the economy including tourism. This resulted in the development of a strategy and action plan for tourism recovery, currently undergoing approval.
Second, structural constraints to private sector engagement in “building back better” were addressed, as evidenced by the preparation of the SDG investor map to attract private capital to priority sectors. In addition, the UNDP programme completed a comprehensive diagnostic study to direct private sector to optimal investments in the circular economy; and a comprehensive follow-up survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the MSMEs, including women headed businesses, and an interactive dashboard that links businesses to regional markets.
Third, UNDP supported efforts in strengthening an enabling environment for the equal participation of women and men in the structural transformation journey. This entailed:
- Upgrading a mobile app for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to ensure rapid response from police force;
- Undertaking a feasibility study, and providing a survivor- focused roadmap for the setting up of a model Shelter for survivors of GBV;
- Formulating an animated cartoon for mass sensitization on Gender Equality currently used for information, education and campaigns;
- Supporting the implementation of an economic empowerment programme for around 36 survivors of GBV leading to the award of a nationally recognized certificate;
- Conducting information campaigns for community engagement for enhanced livelihoods for more than 5,000 individuals across the island, including domestic violence survivors;
- Enhancing the capacity of Members of the Parliamentary Gender Caucus and 30 Gender Focal Points to mainstream gender. These interventions are paving the way towards gender-sensitive policy-making at the level of the Legislature and of the Executive.
Fourth, the UNDP contributed to advancing digital transformation in the public and private sector to facilitate a more agile way of working. This was achieved through delivery on catalytic investments for 5 key government services including: (i) a Work-from-Home Protocol, (ii) initiating the rollout of an e-Health system, (iii) upgrading of the GBV Rapid Response Mobile App, (iv) a National Emergency Operation Command, formulating the e-parliament project, and (v) a Registrar General Department.
Through partnerships with Government ministries, departments, individual women entrepreneurs and agencies such as UN Women and UNFPA, the Africa Regional Bureau and the AfCFTA Secretariat have yielded development impact through sustained collaboration to conceptualize and implement programmes including on the AfCFTA Women in Trade Protocol and GBV programming and reduction.
In parallel, the Government of Japan supported the implementation of an economic empowerment livelihood programme of 36 GBV survivors.
To facilitate business linkages between Mauritian businesses and counterparts in the SADC region, the UNDP supported the design of a Business Intelligence Platform. Upgrading and scaling-up of the platform is planned for 2022. The Country office also assisted the National Statistics Bureau in the preparation of its e-business strategy, and to enhance its capacity in terms of digital solutions for data generation and management.
Mauritius has experienced two lockdowns since 2020. This has impeded the implementation of some activities. For instance, the Civil Service College was unable to conduct capacity building exercises for 140 public servants, which was part of UNDP’s commitment to support 7-line Ministries to formulate their Business Continuity Plan. A study initiated by UNDP and UNFPA on the extent of GBV, to inform future programming at the national level, could also not be completed.
- Upgrading a mobile app for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to ensure rapid response from police force;
- Undertaking a feasibility study, and providing a survivor- focused roadmap for the setting up of a model Shelter for survivors of GBV;
- Formulating an animated cartoon for mass sensitization on Gender Equality currently used for information, education and campaigns;
- Supporting the implementation of an economic empowerment programme for around 36 survivors of GBV leading to the award of a nationally recognized certificate;
- Conducting information campaigns for community engagement for enhanced livelihoods for more than 5,000 individuals across the island, including domestic violence survivors;
- Enhancing the capacity of Members of the Parliamentary Gender Caucus and 30 Gender Focal Points to mainstream gender. These interventions are paving the way towards gender-sensitive policy-making at the level of the Legislature and of the Executive.
Fourth, the UNDP contributed to advancing digital transformation in the public and private sector to facilitate a more agile way of working. This was achieved through delivery on catalytic investments for 5 key government services including: (i) a Work-from-Home Protocol, (ii) initiating the rollout of an e-Health system, (iii) upgrading of the GBV Rapid Response Mobile App, (iv) a National Emergency Operation Command, formulating the e-parliament project, and (v) a Registrar General Department.
Through partnerships with Government ministries, departments, individual women entrepreneurs and agencies such as UN Women and UNFPA, the Africa Regional Bureau and the AfCFTA Secretariat have yielded development impact through sustained collaboration to conceptualize and implement programmes including on the AfCFTA Women in Trade Protocol and GBV programming and reduction.
In parallel, the Government of Japan supported the implementation of an economic empowerment livelihood programme of 36 GBV survivors.
To facilitate business linkages between Mauritian businesses and counterparts in the SADC region, the UNDP supported the design of a Business Intelligence Platform. Upgrading and scaling-up of the platform is planned for 2022. The Country office also assisted the National Statistics Bureau in the preparation of its e-business strategy, and to enhance its capacity in terms of digital solutions for data generation and management.
Mauritius has experienced two lockdowns since 2020. This has impeded the implementation of some activities. For instance, the Civil Service College was unable to conduct capacity building exercises for 140 public servants, which was part of UNDP’s commitment to support 7-line Ministries to formulate their Business Continuity Plan. A study initiated by UNDP and UNFPA on the extent of GBV, to inform future programming at the national level, could also not be completed.
Improving public services and other government functions through digitalization
Improving public services and other government functions through digitalization
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNDP Country Office in Mauritius has collaborated with the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development and Digital Initiatives Group at the International Training and Education Center for Health, based within the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health.
This collaboration resulted in the development and implementation of a comprehensive public Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Improving public services and other government functions though digitalization for the Ministry of Health and Wellness using the Open ELIS Global platform. The platform was initially customised to capture and manage data on all COVID-19 tests carried out in the country for the efficient management of local cases.
In 2021, the UNDP supported the upgrading of the Laboratory Management Information Management System (LIMS) into a comprehensive clinical and public health LIMS using digital technologies. Through the implementation of the LIMS, the Central Laboratory has been able to increase the number of COVID tests from 100 per day to 3,000 per day.
The UNDP also supported the operationalization of an All-in-One digital platform at the international airport to ensure a reduction in the use of paper and the filtering of various categories of incoming passengers. The All-in-One digital platform speeds up the verification process by Health Inspectors at the airport. This eases the queuing and facilitates contact tracing through the Power BI Dashboard, not only for COVID-19 but also for other monitored diseases.
The UNDP also assisted in the preparation of Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for 5 key services and is funding the implementation of 3 of these critical services namely: (i) the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for the Ministry of Public Service, (ii) the Parliamentary EDMS for the National Assembly as part of the Digital Parliament and (iii) the Process automation of the Registrar General’s Department.
With the approval of the Work-from-Home protocol through the support of the UNDP, the Government is gearing towards becoming more resilient in future lockdown situations. This has allowed the Ministry of Public Service to expand the initiative to other Ministries through training and awareness raising exercises. Several key ministries are currently being trained on the protocol.
Following the survey on businesses in collaboration with the Statistics Mauritius and Business Mauritius in 2020, the UNDP provided support to Small and Medium Size Enterprises in terms of Capacity Building on ICT and satisfied their need to better understand and use online marketing tools in a pandemic situation. This project is currently being carried out with the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC).
Improving public services and other government functions through digitalization
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNDP Country Office in Mauritius has collaborated with the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development and Digital Initiatives Group at the International Training and Education Center for Health, based within the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health.
This collaboration resulted in the development and implementation of a comprehensive public Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Improving public services and other government functions though digitalization (LIMS) for the Ministry of Health and Wellness using the Open ELIS Global platform. The platform was initially customised to capture and manage data on all COVID-19 tests carried out in the country for the efficient management of local cases.
In 2021, the UNDP supported the upgrading of the Laboratory Management Information Management System (LIMS) into a comprehensive clinical and public health LIMS using digital technologies. Through the implementation of the LIMS, the Central Laboratory has been able to increase the number of COVID tests from 100 per day to 3,000 per day.
The UNDP also supported the operationalization of an All-in-One digital platform at the international airport to ensure a reduction in the use of paper and the filtering of various categories of incoming passengers. The All-in-One digital platform speeds up the verification process by Health Inspectors at the airport. This eases the queuing and facilitates contact tracing through the Power BI Dashboard, not only for COVID-19 but also for other monitored diseases.
The UNDP also assisted in the preparation of Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for 5 key services and is funding the implementation of 3 of these critical services namely: (i) the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for the Ministry of Public Service, (ii) the Parliamentary EDMS for the National Assembly as part of the Digital Parliament and (iii) the Process automation of the Registrar General’s Department.
With the approval of the Work-from-Home protocol through the support of the UNDP, the Government is gearing towards becoming more resilient in future lockdown situations. This has allowed the Ministry of Public Service to expand the initiative to other Ministries through training and awareness raising exercises. Several key ministries are currently being trained on the protocol.
Following the survey on businesses in collaboration with the Statistics Mauritius and Business Mauritius in 2020, the UNDP provided support to Small and Medium Size Enterprises in terms of Capacity Building on ICT and satisfied their need to better understand and use online marketing tools in a pandemic situation. This project is currently being carried out with the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC).
Climate action, sustainable management of natural resources and integration of ecosystem services approaches
Climate action, sustainable management of natural resources and integration of ecosystem services approaches
Parallel support was provided to capacitate the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA) and the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA) to provide increased advisory and regulatory assistance to the Government in matters related to energy. Moreover, the Country Office also contributed to the empowerment of women and youth on Renewable Energy (RE) by supporting awareness and specialised training in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation. Through these efforts, further resources were mobilised from the Australian Government to support additional capacity building targeting unemployed women.
Under the Climate Promise Initiative, the UNDP also played a critical role in supporting the Government to ambitiously ramp up the climate ambitions through the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Inclusive and multi-sectoral consultations were facilitated and technical assistance was provided in refining the adaptation and mitigation targets in Mauritius. Furthermore, resources for Climate Change Mitigation were mobilised through the Country Office for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project (USD 1.2M) and the Low Carbon Economy project (USD 5.6M).
Parallel support was provided to capacitate the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA) and the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA) to provide increased advisory and regulatory assistance to the Government in matters related to energy. Moreover, the Country Office also contributed to the empowerment of women and youth on renewable energy (RE) by supporting awareness and specialised training in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation. Through these efforts, further resources were mobilised from the Australian Government to support additional capacity building targeting unemployed women.
Under the Climate Promise Initiative, the UNDP also played a critical role in supporting the Government to ambitiously ramp up the climate ambitions through the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Inclusive and multi-sectoral consultations were facilitated and technical assistance was provided in refining the adaptation and mitigation targets in Mauritius. Furthermore, resources for Climate Change Mitigation were mobilised through the Country Office for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project (USD 1.2M) and the Low Carbon Economy project (USD 5.6M).
In terms of climate resilience, a first set of Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) maps has been made available online to all government stakeholders under the “Mainstreaming Biodiversity into the Management of the Coastal Zone of the Republic of Mauritius” project. The project also supported 5 NGOs, namely Eco-Sud, Marine Megafauna Conservation Organisation, Caritas Ile Maurice, Reef Conservation and the Trou d’Eau Douce Fishermen Cooperative Society, to train community members on sustainable livelihoods in the aftermath of the 2020 MV Wakashio oil spill.
Key progress was also achieved under the “Restoring Marine Ecosystem Services by Rehabilitating Coral Reefs to meet a Changing Climate Future” project where enforcement equipment has been procured and agreements were reached with NGOs to undertake community-driven coral restoration activities. The EU-funded “Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Artisanal Fishing Community of the Republic of Mauritius” (E€OFISH) project, established key contact with fishing communities in view of sustainably transforming the sector and empowering artisanal fishers around the island.
Implementation of Disaster and Climate Risk Management Measures
Implementation of Disaster and Climate Risk Management Measures
Review of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP)
Following the UNDP Level 1 Crisis declaration for Mauritius, the Mauritius Country Office worked to support UN coordination efforts and needs assessments; initiate early recovery frameworks and immediate programmatic response interventions, and leverage additional resources for recovery initiatives. The UNDP recruited the services of an international oil spill specialist to review the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan and to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders were properly defined, and their response capacities enhanced.
Humanitarian Emergency Assistance to overcome the Oil Spill Crisis in Mauritius
Following the MV Wakashio oil spill, communities involved in ocean- based activities on the south-eastern coast of Mauritius could no longer earn a living from the lagoon. In the aftermath, the UNDP held consultations with several stakeholders and NGOs of the region. The aim was to develop alternative livelihoods programmes for the impacted communities, in areas such as aquaponics and sustainable farming, organic crop and egg production and the conservation of threatened marine megafauna species.
Accelerator Lab
UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme
Partnerships
List of partners:
- Government of Mauritius
- Rodrigues Regional Assembly
- European Union (EU)
- Government of Japan
- Australian Government
- British High Commission
- AfCFTA Secretariat
- Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- GEF Small Grants Programme
- Clinton Foundation
- The German Cooperation
- Qatar Fund for Development
- United Nations
- UN Women
- UNFPA
- UNFCCC
- World Health Organisation
- African Development Bank (AfDB)
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
- Business Mauritius
- Statistics Mauritius
- Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI)
- Albion Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC)
- Food and Agriculture Research and Expansion Institute (FAREI)
- Outer Islands Development Corporation (OIDC)
- Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies
- Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA)
- Central Electricity Board (CEB)
- Mauritius Institute for Training and Development (MITD)
- Utility Regulatory Authority (URA)
- Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)
- National Women’s Council
- Eco-Sud
- Marine Megafauna Conservation Organisation (MMCO)
- Caritas Ile Maurice
- Reef Conservation
- Trou d’Eau Douce Fisherman Cooperative Society
- SHOALS Rodrigues
- Oceanyka
- Ter-Mer Rodriguez
- University of Washington
- University of Surrey
- University of Portsmouth
List of partners:
- Government of Mauritius
- Rodrigues Regional Assembly
- European Union (EU)
- Government of Japan
- Australian Government
- British High Commission
- AfCFTA Secretariat
- Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- GEF Small Grants Programme
- Clinton Foundation
- The German Cooperation
- Qatar Fund for Development
- United Nations
- UN Women
- UNFPA
- UNFCCC
- World Health Organisation
- African Development Bank (AfDB)
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
- Business Mauritius
- Statistics Mauritius
- Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI)
- Albion Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC)
- Food and Agriculture Research and Expansion Institute (FAREI)
- Outer Islands Development Corporation (OIDC)
- Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies
- Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency (MARENA)
- Central Electricity Board (CEB)
- Mauritius Institute for Training and Development (MITD)
- Utility Regulatory Authority (URA)
- Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)
- National Women’s Council
- Eco-Sud
- Marine Megafauna Conservation Organisation (MMCO)
- Caritas Ile Maurice
- Reef Conservation
- Trou d’Eau Douce Fisherman Cooperative Society
- SHOALS Rodrigues
- Oceanyka
- Ter-Mer Rodriguez
- University of Washington
- University of Surrey
- University of Portsmouth
Programme Delivery and Resource Mobilization
For the Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management project, which started implementation in 2021, USD 1.6 M was received from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the project period of 4 years. The GEF-funded regional ISLANDS project on Chemicals and Waste was endorsed for implementation. Mauritius will receive USD 4M for implementation of this project over the next 5 years.
The in-kind contribution to the Mainstreaming Biodiversity project has been tracked since 2016. 17 stakeholders have committed around USD 17M up to December 2021, and about USD 18M have been additionally mobilized. The UNDP has contributed about USD 326,000 as cash to the project mostly to activities carried out in Rodrigues.
The Coral Restoration project benefitted from Government assistance of around USD 1.4M for the setting-up of land-based coral nurseries and a sea-water pumping system. This will enable large scale restoration of corals through the propagation of thermal resistant corals at the Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI) and sexual reproduction of corals at Albion Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC).
The UNDP Country Office contributed USD 66,000 to the review of the NOSCP which included a simulation exercise and a validation workshop. While the communities from the MV Wakashio affected regions were supported from the UNDP (USD 130,000), further assistance was also provided from the African Development Bank through a grant of USD 500,000 to enable the restoration of the livelihoods of these communities via sustainable and alternative livelihoods programme.
Under the Climate Promise initiative, the UNDP facilitated by providing USD 250,000 for the update of the NDC document (under the 2015 Paris Agreement) and for awareness workshops.
Operations
The UNDP Country Office for Mauritius continues to provide a range of administrative, operational and project services to the Government. These include the design, delivery and review of activities and initiatives. These services have greatly improved the organizational efficiency and agility of various government departments. One of the main partners was the Ministry of Health and Wellness, where a number of initiatives illustrate that UNDP’s procurement systems have contributed to save time and money. These include the delivery of various technical and administrative services that have furthered national priorities in support of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and E-Health. Internally, the Country Office continued to pursue efficiency and acceleration of program delivery through the use of global and regional Long-term agreements (LTAs) to procure emergency COVID-19 related supplies such as ventilators, and sensitive services such as HACT financial audits and spot checks. The use of the local LTAs shortened procurement timelines and enabled the UNDP to meet the various deadlines for projects. The Mauritius Country Office collaborated with technical units such as the Digital Office and the Regional Bureau of Africa (RBA) in reviewing solicitations documents and being in the evaluation for high value and complex services/goods. The COVID-19 pandemic and the immediate need to move to teleworking also made the office adjust quicker and experiment with new ways of working.
Implementation of the United Nations Strategic Development Corporation Framework (UNSDCF)
The UNDP Country Office engaged in several programming initiatives within the UN system as part of efforts to implement the United Nations Strategic Development Corporation Framework (UNSDCF). With the leadership provided by the RCO, a UN joint project on SDGs was developed, in collaboration with UNFPA, ILO, UNEP and ECA, with expectation of funding in 2022. Effective engagement in this partnership was enhanced by a participation in the Programme Management team where UNDP plays a key role as an integrator within the UN system.
Communications
UNDP Staff 2021
Front Row (sitting), from left to right: Sameer Khudaroo, Head of Finance; Stéphane Bellerose, Communication Specialist; Renooka Beejan, Head of Socio-Economic Development Unit; Manisha Teelokee, Project Assistant; Sharon Sunassee, Communication Assistant; Medaavi Gopaul, UN Volunteer; Rachna Ramsurn, Project Manager, CRRP; Melany Poorun-Sooprayen, Head of Exploration, Accelerator Lab; Ayooshee Dookhee, Head of Solutions Mapping, Accelerator Lab; Grishta Beegun, Finance Assistant; Shabbir Esmael, UN Volunteer; Marille Benoit, Programme Assistant, Seychelles; Congyi Dai, UN Volunteer; Sevika Varaden, Finance and Procurement Assistant, CRRP; Jean-Yan Norbert, Communication Assistant; Irvan Chengadu, UN Volunteer.
Middle Row, from left to right: Farzina Lowtun-Boolakee, Gender Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; Tony Muhumuza, Senior Economist; Angelique Lache, Receptionist; Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles; Oksana Vovk, Programme and Operations Specialist, Seychelles; Rudhi Kinnoo, Administrative Clerk; Sameer Kaudeer, IAS Project Officer; Anirood Meeheelaul, Project Manager, JSB; Seewajee Pandoo, Project Manager, IAS; Erwyn Veerapen, IT Support Assistant; Shakil Beedassy, GCF Coordinator; Sajiid Mooniaruck, Projetc Manager, GCF; Avinash Meetoo, Head of Experimentation, Accelerator Lab; Veronique Nibourette, Project Manager, JMA; Parmananda Ragen; Project Manager, Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Kavish Soorjee, Driver; Kamini Beedasee, Project Assistant, IAS; Fatuma Musa, International Operations Manager.
Top Row, from left to right: Wendie Lambin, Project Assistant, E€OFISH; Sumayya Mauthoor, Project Officer; Martine Chung How, Human Resource Assistant; Ayesha Aumeeruddy, Project Assistant, CRRP; Raksha Ramloll, Project Assistant, E€OFISH; Vichittra Purdassee, Project Manager, GCF; Patricia Li Yuk Fung, Finance Assistant; Anishta Heeramun, Project Manager, PPG; Deepa Seeburn, Procurement Assistant; Chandrima Imrit, Programme Assistant, UNDP-GEF-SGP; Nishi Sewsurn, Executive Associate.
