The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Dhananjay Ramful, affirmed that Mauritius remains steadfast in its commitments to upholding the rule of law and international law. This statement was made on 26 February 2025, in the context of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC),
The Minister, who participated via video conference, was among the dignitaries representing more than 100 Member States who addressed the Council during the high-level segment of the 58th UNHRC regular session scheduled from 24 February to 04 April 2025 in Geneva. The high-level segment took place during the first week of the 58th session from 24 February to 26 February 2025.
Minister Ramful recalled last year's general elections in Mauritius which, he deemed, demonstrated the vibrant democracy of the country. He stated as well that the elections were testimony to the commitment of each Mauritian to both upholding civil and political rights while preserving the institutions that were the bedrock of a democratic society.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also talked about the programme of the new Government for the period 2025-2029, entitled 'A bridge to the Future'. "As we look to the future, the Government of Mauritius will set up a Constitutional Review Commission, which will, inter alia, include the right to clean, healthy and sustainable environment in our Constitution, in line with the international recognition of this right by this august assembly and the United Nations General Assembly in 2022," highlighted Mr Ramful.
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The Reviews of Mauritius by the United Nations Treaty Bodies and the work of special procedures mandate holders were mentioned, too, by the Minister. He evoked the country's upcoming review of its reports by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee Against Torture in April 2025, and the forthcoming interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy, following her visit to Mauritius in November 2023.
Moreover, the Minister was adamant that there was a need to continue building on the foundation stones of the rules-based system in order to continue protecting and promoting human rights amidst the current geopolitical situation, the large-scale and rapid global transformations like the advances in technology together with the various challenges such as the multiplication of conflicts and climate change.
According to the Minister, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the Charter of the United Nations were among the pillars of this rules-based system. "They are essential in our actions to promote and protect human rights as global and regional challenges make their heads rear anew," he stressed.
Minister Ramful added that the principles for which these documents stand for were reaffirmed in the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, adopted last year at the UN General Assembly. "The Pact for the Future was not only an opportunity to look at today's challenges, but it set the vision and scene for the coming decade," he said.
