European Union and Mauritius join hands in the fight against piracy and for the promotion of maritime security

On 14 July the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Mauritius signed the "Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritius on the Conditions of Transfer of Suspected Pirates and Associated Seized Property from the European Union-Led Naval Force to the Republic of Mauritius and on the Conditions of Suspected Pirates after Transfer" or in short the EU-Mauritius Transfer Agreement.

The agreement was signed by Ambassador Alessandro Mariani, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius, and Mrs Fong Weng-Poorun, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office. The signature took place within the framework of the ESA-IO regional strategy and action plan to fight against piracy and to promote maritime security, as endorsed by the 2nd regional ministerial conference, co-chaired by Catherine Ashton (High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission) and held in Mauritius on 7 October 2010.

This Agreement defines the conditions and modalities for the transfer of persons suspected of attempting to commit, committing or having committed acts of piracy within the area of operation of EUNAVFOR on the high seas off the territorial seas of Mauritius, Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, Seychelles and Reunion Island and detained by EUNAVFOR, the transfer of associated property seized by EUNAVFOR from EUNAVFOR to Mauritius and the treatment of transferred persons. 

Catherine Ashton stated "I congratulate the Government of Mauritius for joining hands in the fight against piracy and for the promotion of maritime security, in line with the regional strategy and action plan endorsed by the 2^ndregional ministerial conference held in Mauritius last year. Piracy is a scourge which is affecting all countries". In Ambassador Mariani's view this signature is emblematic of the quality of the relations between Mauritius and the European Union and of the common vision of our leaders in the mutual interest of our peoples. 

In parallel, the signature of two programs for additional financial support from the European Union for implementing this Transfer Agreement took place.

Addendum to the National Indicative Programme for Mauritius

First of the two additional programmes is the Addendum to the National Indicative Programme allocating to Mauritius an additional grant of EUR 3 million (approx. 120 million MUR) to be invested as general budget support.  This signature took place as regards medium and long term assistance to cover further needs and to compensate, in support to the fight against poverty, the additional costs to the economy and to the Government incurred to respond to piracy. The Addendum was signed by Ambassador, Alessandro Mariani, and the former Minister of Finance, Pravind Jugnauth.

Contribution Agreement with UNODC

The second programme receiving the additional funding is the EU and UNODC (United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime)joint programme to support the trial and related treatment of piracy suspects in Mauritius.

During the negotiations of the Transfer Agreement, the EU has recognised the request for additional financial support for implementing such an Agreement and therefore made available an additional grant of EUR 1.08 million (approx. 43 million MUR) to finance a joint EU-UNODC programme to respond to the immediate needs for initiating the prosecution of suspected pirates. This programme will be implemented by UNODC and is financed via the EU Instrument for Stability (IfS). While adapted to the specificities of the Mauritius context, there is a close correspondence with the nature of the EU IfS support already provided to Kenya and to the Seychelles. The support to Mauritius will be implemented over 18 months incorporating inter alia assistance with: 

• Legislative review, including assistance with amendments to legislation;
• Support to the Police/Coast Guard, including mentoring assistance for the police, investigative
• assistance of the police, counter-piracy training for the police and coast guard, police support for piracy investigations;
• Support for the Prosecutors and the Attorney General's Office, including the provision of legal research and materials, the preparation of a handover guidance, support for the attendance at international piracy meetings and exposure to trials in other jurisdictions;
• Support to the Courts, including the provision for supporting the attendance of witnesses, supporting the presence of interpreters, the purchase of a transcription/voice recognition system, reinforcement of court security, the purchase of video link and other court technology, provision for legal representation for suspects at trials;
• Support to the Prison Service, including preparation of a master-plan for use of the existing Mauritius prison capacity, support essential renovations and improvements of designated areas of the existing prison estate at Beau Bassin so as to allow better use to be made of existing capacity, development of legislative framework, development of strategic framework, training and assistance to prison staff and management.

For the full Press Release, please click here.

Article 8 Political Dialogue meetings - 6-7 June, 2011

On 6 and 7 June the first ever Article 8 political dialogue with Mauritius was organised. The programme, in addition to a meeting chaired by Hon. Arvin Boolell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Regional Integration, included a working lunch with private sector apex organisations - Joint Economic Council (JEC), Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and Mauritius Exporters Association (MEXA), a meeting with civil society organisations included in the EU HRD Strategy, a visit to projects financed by the EU, a visit to sugar and energy producer Omnicane and a presentation on the Maurice Ile Durable (MID) initiative from the Adviser to the Prime Minister, who is also the Chairman of the MID initiative. The EU was represented by five Heads of Missions (EU, Austria, France, Italy and United Kingdom). The first ever political dialogue with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) was also organised. The event was co-chaired by the Secretary General of the IOC.
The meetings took place in a very cordial atmosphere in line with the excellent relations that exist between the European Union and Mauritius.


Discussion EU-Mauritian relations
The first day started with a meeting chaired by Hon. Arvin Boolell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Regional Integration. The agenda covered issues of mutual interest to the EU-Mauritius relations such as fight against piracy and promotion of maritime security, EU-Mauritius development co-operation, priorities for the economic development of Mauritius, trade relations and EPA, regional matters. The minister congratulated the EU for the initiative to organise the political dialogue and expressed the interest for it to become an annual event.

Talks with Private Sector Representatives
Subsequently, the EU Heads of Missions met with private sector representatives: Chairman and Secretary General of Joint Economic Council (JEC), Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and Chairman and Director of Mauritius Exporters Association (MEXA). The get-together provided an opportunity for the private sector to highlight the different mandates of each apex body. They also evoked the fact that in Mauritius the private sector has the opportunity to maintain an open and fruitful public –private sector dialogue. Representatives pointed out some key areas that offer investment and business opportunities available in Mauritius, specifically the knowledge hub which could possibly provide a high potential for European universities, as well as other sectors like medical tourism.

Visits to the DCP ProjectsIn the afternon, the EU Heads of Missions visited two projects financed under Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) I in 2009:  Magic Fingers Association and SOS Femmes.

The visit focused on the involvement of women associations in complementing government's action in championing for the protection and promotion of human rights, notably those of women and children.  During the visit the discussions focused on the need and the methods to empower unemployed women and those subject to gender-based violence. Participants also agreed on the specific role of NGOs as regards to this specific field. Appropriate capacity building programme is needed to improve their capacity to deliver basic services to the poorest sections of the population which would result to the reduction of poverty in a context of sustainable development.  

Magic Fingers Association benefited from a total of MUR 420 000 (i.e. EUR 10 000) from the 9th EDF DCP. The objective of the project was to encourage capacity building and networking of vulnerable groups involved in high value textile craft and related products, with sharing of product design and development, production equipment for high end finishing and finally branding, marketing and commercialisation support. As a result, by 2011 80 unemployed, retrenched or elderly women were trained.

SOS Femmes benefited from a total of MUR 4 200 000 (i.e. EUR 100 000) from the 9th EDF DCP for the construction of shelter and purchase of equipment. The overall objective of the project was to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions of deprived women looking for shelter. The DCP has financed the construction of a shelter building to increase the welcoming capacity of SOS Femmes; and furnishing it with equipment so that desperate women and children can benefit from first hand care, homely attention, moral, medical, psychiatric or psychological support. 

Discussions with the civil society
The second day started with a meeting between the EU Head of Missions and civil society representatives at the EU Delegation to discuss issues faced by the Mauritian society. Possible areas for mutual collaboration between the EU and the civil society were reviewed.

Regional Cooperation



The first ever political dialogue with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) was also organised. The IOC was represented by the Secretary General, Ambassador d’Offay, other IOC representatives and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius which assumes the current Presidency of the IOC. The agenda covered four main subjects: fight against piracy and promotion of maritime security, IOC role in the Peace and Security Architecture of the African Union (AU), trade relations and EPA and EU-IOC development co-operation.

Participants

Sugar Industry
The programme was concluded by a visit to one of the main sugar refineries and energy producers Omnicane.  The visit also included a presentation of the Chief Executive Officer who offered a perspective of new potential investments. Omnicane has been operational since the second semester of 2010.  It has set up an efficient cogeneration plant (bagasse and coal) that allows it to sell electricity to the national grid. Approximately 90 % of the power produced is sold to the Central Electricity Board.


For more information about the EU-Mauritius Relations, please click here.

Five Non State Actors’ projects awarded

In 2011, five Mauritian non-governmental and civil society organisations received the funding under the European Union (EU) thematic programme Non State Actors and Local Authorities in Development. These grants complement the funds available under the Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) for which the Mauritian Government and the EU had signed the Financing Agreement in May 2011.

This new thematic programme “Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development” was introduced already in 2007 to cover different components such as the support to development actions to be implemented by Non-State-Actors (NSAs), actions in the EU aiming at raising public awareness of development issues and promoting education for development, to mobilise greater support for activities against poverty and fairer relations between developed and developing countries as well as actions aiming at achieving more efficient cooperation, foster synergies and facilitate a structured dialogue in the area of development between civil society networks and local authorities associations from the EU and acceding countries, within their organisations and with Community institutions.

Association Pour les Enfants Inadaptes de L'Ile Maurice (APEIM)

The association proposes vocation training and rehabilitation services for young adults with moderate to severe intellectual disability. Through this action, APEIM attempts to empower intellectually disabled young men and women through capacity building and to promote their professional and social integration.
The association estimates that over 24 months, some 10 to 15 trained adults with intellectual disability will be placed in companies and earn their living, 150 men and women with moderate to severe intellectual disability will receive training in work skills, work habits and social skills and 500 to 600 parents and siblings will receive support and training and 16 teacher trainers are trained and therefore will be more confident in their work.
Website: http://www.apeim.org/

 SOS Children's Village Mauritius 


Mr Amedee Dabeecharu​n - General Manager SOS Children's Village

 The project aims at developping a non-formal pre-vocational training (woodwork, painting, electricity etc.) facility for needy adolescents using transformed containers. The specificity of the training is that it takes on board the developmental needs and individual characteristics of the adolescents.


Three-month long training will be combined with the provision of relevant services. The non-formal aspect of the training corresponds to work in small groups, responsiveness of the programme to the levels and ability of the participants, its duration, and a balanced combination of practice and theory.

The recruitment criteria will include the following risk factors: poverty, failure at school, lack of parental care and guidance and idleness etc. Social workers of the Family Strengthening Programme will provide relevant support services.

For more information, please visit the SOS Village's website : http://www.soscvmauritius.org/

Diabetes Parents Support Group 

The programme consist of providing the education and care for parents whose children are suffering from diabetes. More precisely, it will address the treated diabetic patients and aim at preventing type 2 diabetes among children.
DPSG will provide diabetes education and care to insulin treated patients based on structured and evaluated concepts and prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents through a targeted approach. the project will also bring diabetes care of international standards within the reach of the Mauritians and  prevent the increase of Type 2 diabetes by 10% in one year.
  
Union Park Women Association


Oyster Mushroom - delicious and healthy

The project aims at providing an opportunity of employment and poverty alleviation to the beneficiaries through the production of fresh mushroom and mushroom fruiting bags. The project will involve sixty beneficiaries most of whom are members of Women Associations.
The unemployed women from low income household will be trained in the production of mushroom fruiting bags. The goal of the project is to alleviate poverty of the sixty women, though training and job opportunities and to help the beneficiaries to earn a living, learn new techniques, and produce fresh mushroom.

Prevention, Information et Fight against the AIDS (Prévention Information et Lutte contre le SIDA)

Recreational activities

PILS is a Mauritian NGO created in July 1996 and one of the key players in the national response against HIV / AIDS. the overall objective of the project funded by the EU is mitigating the impact of HIV among Most at Risk Populations (MARPs) in Mauritius. More     specifically, the project will seek to intensify targeted prevention programs towards commercial sex workers (CSW) as well as empowering people living with HIV. It will also aim at reinforcing multi-partner advocacy concerning MARPS. Some of the activities of the project include among others the setting up of a CSW Peer Educators Programme, the recruitment of a social worker and a nurse to propose a comprehensive care and support package, holding of group therapy sessions, training, recreational activities, sketches and income generating activities. It also foresees the improvement of a Positive Ambassadors program.
For more information, please visit PILS website: http://www.pils.mu/

More information about the EU support to the Non State Actors, please click here.  

Decentralised Cooperation Programme – Phase II

The Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP) is a European Union funded intervention, implemented through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Its overall objective is poverty alleviation through the capacity-building of Non State Actors (NSAs) in the Republic of Mauritius in synergy with other poverty alleviation programmes. The first phase of the programme lasted from March 2006 to March 2010 and has seen the participation of 240 NSAs and Local Authorities and has allowed the implementation of 340 community-based projects. 

The Financing Agreement for the the second phase of DCP under the 10th EDF has been signed on 6 May 2011. The programme is scheduled to be implemented from June 2011 to June 2014.  The total budget of 5.5 million euros has been provided for this programme. Under this second phase, the programme will attempt to reinforce the capacities of NSAs aiming at improving their strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of poverty alleviation projects. It will also foster a more coherent and informed approach to poverty issues among decision makers and NSAs in order to  improve the policy dialogue between state and non state actors. And last but not least, it will be aiming at enhancing the participation of NSAs in poverty reduction activities related to  on-going empowerment and poverty alleviation programme and through effective complementary support.

The programme will be implemented through a series of thematic Calls for Proposals eventually leading to the award of grants to NSAs such as local associations, community-based organisations, NGOs, cooperatives and federations among others.

Direct budget support for Mauritius

On 8 June 2011, the EU has disbursed a total of EUR 1.4 million grant in recognition of the good progress made by Mauritius in its economic reform programme, in maintaining a policy of macroeconomic stability and in implementing measures to improve public finance management. This is the first of the two equal tranches available to Mauritius in the context of the Global Climate Change general budget support programme. Mauritius can benefit from a total of EUR 3 million under this programme, made available by the EU especially to the countries with higher vulnerability to climate change. EUR 2.8 million is provided in form of budget support and EUR 200.000 as technical assistance in the field of sustainable development.

Mauritius has introduced the Energy Efficiency Bill to the National Assembly, which was one of the objectives under this jointly agreed programme. The Energy Efficiency Bill provides for the setting up of the Energy Efficiency Management Office to, among others, develop and implement strategies, programmes and action plans for the efficient use of energy, establish procedures to monitor energy efficiency and consumption, compile and maintain a database for energy auditors and devise labelling requirements and specifications for any equipment, machine or appliance which is imported, manufactured or sold in Mauritius. This is an important step to put Mauritius on the sustainable development trajectory. Furthermore, the Government of Mauritius is strongly committed to elaborate and adopt a strategy for sustainable development until end of 2011 as well as the accompanying action plan by March 2012.

The EU's Global Climate Change programme is complementary to the EUR 125 million loan that the AFD is providing to the Government of Mauritius to support the sustainable development.

For more information about the budget support, please click here.

Erasmus Mundus Presentation - University of Mauritius

On 26 September 2011, the EU Delegation to Mauritius invited the students of Mauritius University to assist to the presentation of the Erasmus Mundus programme which gave an opportunity to learn more about the possibilities of studying in Europe. A short introduction on the European Union as well as the mission and the role of the EU Delegation in Mauritius was made by Achim Schaffert, First Secretary. Afterwards, Vilija Sysaité, Press and Information Attachée at the Delegation, presented Erasmus programme which offers full tuition and living expenses scholarships for graduate studies.  Students had also the opportunity to listen to the intervention of Noor-Ehsan Gobindram, Mauritian National awarded Erasmus Mundus scholarships. He shared his experiences and answered very concrete questions raised by the students. 

More information about the Erasmus Mundus Programme can be found following this link:
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus 

Last Steering Committee of the Regional Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Coastal Zones of the Indian Ocean (ReCoMaP)

The 5th and last Steering Committee of the Regional Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Coastal Zones of the Indian Ocean (ReCoMap) was held on 27 and 28 July 2011 at the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) Secretariat in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius. The opening remarks were done by the Secretary General of the IOC, Mr. Callixte d'Offay, the Chief Divisional Environment Officer on behalf of the Director of the Department of Environment and Sustainable Development of Mauritius, Mr. Rajiv Beedassy, and the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation, Mr. José Morgado. The meeting was attended by Government representatives of Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya, and Tanzania, as well as a representative of the Inter Regional Coordination Committee regrouping the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and IOC which all share a common envelope for the 10th  European Development Fund regional envelope for the Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region.
In his welcome address, Mr. J. Morgado commended the key role of the Indian Ocean Commission in spearheading this important programme and its continued commitment to its effective implementation. He also stated that environment and preservation of biodiversity are key priorities of EU development policy and that EU will continue supporting countries of the region for enhanced cooperation in this area.
The ReCoMaP (or ProGeCo in French) is a 18 million euro-worth programme, funded under the 9th European Development Fund, which has been developed within the framework of the longstanding cooperation between the European Commission and the Indian Ocean Commission. Implemented by the IOC Secretariat since mid-2006, the programme is designed to address the sustainable management of the resources of the coastal zones of the ACP Island and coastal states of the South West Indian Ocean. The focus countries under the programme are Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania & Somalia.

Participants

The Programme will come to its end in December 2011. Its main achievements are:

• The establishment of the regional collaboration of countries of the region for the elaboration of an Integrated Coastal Zones Management Protocol to the Nairobi Convention on the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region. With the presentation of the Protocol to the next Conference of Parties of the Nairobi Convention scheduled in 2012, the IOC could have an opportunity to play a key role to ensure sustainability of the actions undertaken under ReCoMaP and further promote regional cooperation in the area of coastal and marine conservation and management.
• The organisation of national school contests as important vehicles for raising public awareness, particularly amongst the youngest. The school contests targeted a total of 13 000 children and hundreds of teachers who have been trained on coastal zones issues. 35 000 pedagogical booklets, produced with selected drawings and essays of primary and secondary students, have been distributed to schools of the region.

The website of the programme, which is being transferred to the IOC portal currently being developed, had more than 3 million visits on a monthly basis, which is a sign of the strong interest in the numerous training materials on Integrated Coastal Zones Management and the various technical guides (waste management, preparing and managing projects under Calls for Proposals) produced under the programme.

For more information, please visit:

• EU Delegation to Mauritius website
• Indian Ocean Commission website