Africa-Press – Mauritius. A Ministerial High-Level Breakfast Meeting, aimed to unpack the outcomes of the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was held, this morning, at the Westin Turtle Bay Resort and Spa, Balaclava. The High-Level Ministerial Meeting is being held in the context of the 5th Steering Committee of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH).
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano; the Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Maneesh Gobin; the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint; the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin; the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal; the Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo; the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah; the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Rt.
Hon. Patricia Scotland; and other personalities were present. The objectives of the Breakfast Meeting were to gain strategic insights on the implementation of 2022 CHOGM decisions; mainstream the CHOGM outcomes into development planning processes; define strategic partners that can facilitate ease of implementation; and foster cooperation and collaboration in implementing the Living Lands Charter.
It is to be recalled that Commonwealth leaders had officially adopted the “Living Lands Charter: A Commonwealth Call to action on Living Lands” (CALL), during the 2022 CHOGM in Kigali, Rwanda, which commits all 56 Member countries to safeguard global land resources while taking coordinated action on climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainable land management.
In his keynote address, Minister Ganoo affirmed that Mauritius is highly committed to the Commonwealth which allows the country to gain linkages into key geographical areas of strategic importance to achieve its development and other policy goals, and to work in a non-confrontational way with 56 likeminded countries which represent a quarter of the membership of the United Nations.
He lauded the Commonwealth which has been contributing to the responses required to the challenge of ensuring adequate and affordable finance for implementing climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals.
He expressed the wish for the Commonwealth to go even further and to have closer engagement with the G7, G20 and other regional entities and to speak as an advocate on behalf of nations not represented in powerful organisations and to bring real added value to deliberations and decision-making.
He expressed confidence that the Commonwealth, spanning six continents and a third of the world’s population, through its convening and advocacy power, offers a unique perspective in helping forge the global solutions that are needed.
Speaking about CHOGM 2022, he recalled that the Meeting was held against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the climate change crisis.
These issues, which are leaving devastating trails on the world economy, are putting the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in jeopardy, he said. The Foreign Minister further dwelt on some of the salient issues which were brought forward during the CHOGM Meeting.
They include: the importance of connecting, innovating, and transforming in order to facilitate a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and to respond to conflicts and crises in ways that increase resilience and progress towards delivering a common future.
Leaders also agreed on the CALL as well as to encourage public-private partnerships, in collaboration with multilateral and other entities, to create high-quality digital jobs for young people across the Commonwealth, with the full participation of the Commonwealth of Learning, he said.
As for Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, she recalled that following the mandate given at the CHOGM in 2015 for the establishment of the CCFAH, Mauritius has been at the heart of this initiative in line of maintaining a country driven approach to the work of the Hub.
She indicated that this support has enabled Member countries in mobilising US$ 50 million to date, training over 1,900 officials across the Commonwealth in areas around climate finance, as well as providing technical assistance covering several other areas of climate policy.
According to her, the CCFAH model has become a pioneering initiative in the international climate finance landscape. She underlined that since the last Steering Committee Meeting in December 2020, additional resources have been mobilised which has facilitated the recruitment of additional Commonwealth National Climate Finance Advisers and Regional Advisers.
As regards the CCFAH 5th Steering Committee Meeting, she recalled that it coincides with the recently concluded CHOGM in Kigali, Rwanda, where sustainability and climate were high on the agenda for discussion.
At CHOGM, the Declaration on Sustainable Urbanisation, the Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform as well as the adoption of the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter were on the agenda, she added.
She further spoke of the increasing triple crisis facing Member countries namely biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change adding that it is in this context that the CALL was adopted.
This will allow us to take multilevel coordinated action on these three issues, thereby allowing countries to progress towards attainment of their goals under the three Rio conventions, she said.
She concluded by expressing hope that the CCFAH will play a central role in driving this implementation for the benefit of Member countries, given its existing in-country presence, accumulated knowledge and experience in delivering technical assistance and securing financing.
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