ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MAURITIUS, 10 – 14 JANUARY
Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Mauritius from the Maldives islands on Monday, 10 January.
He was in Mauritius to attend the International Meeting of the Small Island Developing States. His official programme began on 12 January, when he met with United Nations agency representatives working in the country. He then spoke to about 30 United Nations staff.
He then went to an exhibition centre, where representatives of communities from small island developing States had gathered to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable development. They called their event “Community Vilaj”. The Secretary-General told them, “I do get inspiration from meeting people from the grass roots who have the energy and the creativity to move their communities…because it is there that the action really takes place.”
Referring to his recent visit to three nations hard hit by the earthquake and tsunami, he said, “I saw communities which had been shattered by the tsunami, but their spirits were not broken, trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild……and that really encouraged me.”
He went on, “You represent an adaptive resilient group that is necessary for any society to move forward.”
He then attended the closing session of “youth island visioning”, a gathering of young people from small island developing States who had been meeting for several days. “You are the leaders of the twenty-first century”, he told them. “You don’t know responsibility until you’ve tasted it, and starting this early will stand you in good stead when you assume positions of real leadership in your societies.”
He finished his day by joining a meeting of the Alliance of Small Island States, an intergovernmental body meeting on the margins of the main conference. He, again, referred to the tsunami, telling them, “as a result of the terrible catastrophe, we can see more clearly not only the challenges facing small islands, but also their relevance for the entire world.”
In the morning of Thursday, 13 January, the Secretary-General and his wife Nane hosted a breakfast for the Heads of Delegation attending the International Meeting of Small Island Developing States in Mauritius.
In his address to the meeting, he said, “We human beings have been humbled yet again by the power of nature to alter, in an instant, our lives and the very face of the earth. But my time in the region also showed me something else that nature cannot extinguish: the human will, in this case the determination to rebuild and, most inspiring of all, to join together in that effort.”
He went on to say, “Should disaster strike again, and it will, in some part of the world, we must be able to say that we did everything humanly possible to build resilient societies.” He called for the creation of a global warning system, not just for tsunami but other threats as well, such as storm surges and cyclones. “No part of the world should be ignored”, he said. “We must think globally, and consider measures equal to the task.”
“We are all inhabitants of the global island”, he then said. “All of us, rich and poor, weak and strong, whether citizens of great power or tiny atoll, are linked in webs of opportunity and vulnerability.”
“We should have known this already”, he went on, “but it has taken a tsunami to press the point home. The question now is whether we will act over the long term, not just in small islands but everywhere, in the same spirit of unity that characterises the current moment.”
In concluding, he said, “If any good should come from the upheaval caused by the tsunami, I hope it will be to have proven, once and for all, the need to heed the warning signs, come together well in advance of calamity, and sustain a collective effort to end human misery and build strong foundations for development and peace.” (See press release SG/SM/9674.)
He then held a series of bilateral meetings on the margins of the conference, starting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Paul Raymond Bérenger. He then saw the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Don McKinnon, followed by the Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen S. Arthur.
The Secretary-General then attended a meeting organized by the Seychelles and the United Kingdom, along with non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, on “Reefs, Island Communities and Protected Areas — Committing to the Future.”
In prepared remarks, he thanked the co-sponsors for drawing attention to the fate of the coral reefs, islands communities and the marine environment in general. He observed that 40 per cent of the world’s population lives within 60 kilometres of the coast, adding that for too long the world has acted as if the oceans were somehow a realm apart. Less than 1 per cent of the world’s oceans are protected, as compared with 12 per cent of the land area.
Coral reefs, he went on, are especially vulnerable. Though they make up less than half of 1 per cent of the ocean floor, more than 90 per cent of marine species are directly or indirectly dependent on them. “That makes reefs vital life support systems for us all”, he said, “and therefore essential to protect”.
In concluding, he said, “We have a vision. We have agreed goals. We have great knowledge and ever-greater technologies. What we need is high-level political commitment for marine conservation and protected areas.”
“Let us work together”, he added, “to protect the oceans and coastal zones, to help small islands survive and prosper and to ensure that all people enjoy a sustainable future”. (See press release SG/SM/9675.)
In the afternoon, he resumed his bilateral meetings. He saw the President of the Marshall Islands, Kessai Note; Under-Secretary of State of the United Kingdom, Bill Rammell; the former Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, Tono Eitel; the Foreign Minister of China, Li Zhaoxing; the President of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani; the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid of the European Commission, Louis Michel; and the President of the Seychelles, James A. Michel.
In a separate programme, Nane Annan accepted an invitation from the Indian Ocean Commission, which entered into partnership with the United Nations in February 2002 to strengthen national capacities to fight HIV/AIDS on five islands -- Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles. She spoke with programme leaders as well as three people infected with the disease. One of those, a woman, described how she had gone public with her illness a year ago --the first woman on Mauritius to do so. Her neighbours drove her from her home, she said, and she now lives in a hostel. But she dreams of having her own home. She may well be dying, she observed with a broad smile, but she wants to be happy until she does. As Mrs. Annan was leaving, the woman asked her if she could give her a hug -- and she did.
After that, Mr. and Mrs. Annan went to State House to meet the Acting President of Mauritius, Raouf Bundhun, and his wife, after which they attended a garden reception in honour of all delegations attending the International Meeting hosted by the Acting President.
In the evening, the Secretary-General attended a dinner for all Heads of Delegations hosted by the Prime Minister.
On Friday, his last day in Mauritius, the Secretary-General returned to the Conference on Small Island Developing States, where he had a number of bilateral meetings, starting with the President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana. This was followed by one with the Foreign Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Ovidio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno.
In his opening remarks at a press conference, the Secretary-General reaffirmed his intention to appoint a special envoy to the tsunami-affected communities, saying he hoped to announce the name by the end of the following week.
He commented that he was happy that his call for a global early warning system had been enthusiastically supported at the Small Islands Conference.
On the subject of the Iraqi elections he said, "Even at this late stage, outreach to the Arab nationalist component of society, especially the Sunni Arabs", is critical. "I encourage the Government", he went on, "to intensify its efforts -- and I know the Government is making efforts in this direction -- and I encourage all Iraqis to exercise their democratic right to vote. Iraq needs as broad-based a government as possible for a successful transition."
Asked if he was concerned about the legitimacy of the Iraqi elections, he answered, "we need to see how things evolve. We still have about two weeks to go, and efforts are being made to pull in as many people as possible. Obviously, there will be attempts to intimidate and there is regrettable violence, but hopefully, the attempts that are being made now, both in the country and outside, may lead to some mitigation."
He then took a question about the Palestinian elections, to which he responded, "I've been very impressed by the way the Palestinians have handled the transition process after the death of President Arafat." He said the elections had been very well organized "and perhaps one of the best prepared". With the election of Mahmoud Abbas, he said, "I believe we have a real opportunity, a window here, to intensify the peace efforts and move it forward."
A journalist then said that some delegates felt that the language on climate change in the draft final document of the Small Islands Conference was weak, and asked for his reaction. "You don't always get what you want" at these conferences, he replied, but after tense negotiation, agreement was reached on a text that people seemed satisfied with.
Asked what he thought of French President Jacques Chirac's proposal for a humanitarian force, like the Blue Helmets, to deal with natural disasters, the Secretary-General replied simply, "I support his proposal without reservation."
One journalist said he had been covering these conferences for 30 years and noticed a trend towards approving a text that offends nobody rather than one that makes change. Don't you sometimes feel you’re running at a standstill, he asked? The Secretary-General smiled and replied, "Sometimes, yes." But he said that he is sometimes encouraged by little successes, "and whenever we can help one person or one community, we do feel encouraged."
He concluded by saying that with the incredible generosity and support from the rest of the world, he hoped somehow that "we will find a way of capturing this moment, nurturing this spirit, this spirit of generosity, this spirit of assisting those in need." We're seeing a new phenomenon, he said; new donors are coming forward, particularly individual citizens who have been moved by the suffering of their fellow human beings. "And our common humanity", he said "really rose to the challenge this time and I hope we would do it time and time again."
After the press conference, he met first with the Leader of the Opposition in Mauritius, Dr. Navin Chandra Ramgoolam, and then with the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General and his wife Nane planted a tree, a green mangrove, in the botanical garden at Pamplemousses. On the grounds, they then met with five religious leaders of Mauritius, following up on a suggestion made to Nane by one of the AIDS patients she had met with the day before. Of concern were emerging signs of stigma and prejudice against those suffering with AIDS by an otherwise tolerant community.
The five leaders were Issack Joonas of the Muslim Community, Pandit Ved Goopee of the Hindu community, François Lan Hing Leung of the Chinese Buddhist community. Monsignor Maurice Piat, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Port Louis and Monsignor Ian Ernest, the Anglican Bishop of Mauritius. The Secretary-General urged them to work together to promote sensitivity in the community to those with AIDS. "You have the pulpit", he said. He shared with them a pamphlet produced by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) titled "A Few Words About Language" on dealing sensitively with AIDS.
Afterwards, the Secretary-General, Mrs. Annan and the five leaders talked to the press. The Secretary-General opened by saying that one thing that had impressed him about Mauritius was how all the religious groups lived harmoniously together. He said that they had discussed what the religious leaders could do to fight HIV/AIDS, "because we are concerned about the stigma and discrimination that is attached to the disease". He said that they had agreed to speak up, because "it's our fight; it's a fight for the entire society." He said they were committed to helping people living with HIV/AIDS, and "for the community to show compassion and sensitivity and not cast them aside".
Bishop Ernest commented, "It would be a privilege for us, the major religions of Mauritius, to be able to work together on this issue, to have a common platform and also to work together with the United Nations and be able to host a spirit of allegiance to our humanity."
That evening, the Secretary-General departed for New York, where he arrived on Saturday, 15 January.