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Conference in jeopardy
The United Nations (UN) conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) scheduled for August-September seems at a dead end. The government, which was happy to be hosting the 1,500 delegates, is having difficulty in meeting its commitments and the conference could eventually be postponed to January.
Despite India?s much-appreciated help, the brand new conference centre in Pailles will not be ready in time. Instead of August, it will be ready only by the end of September. ?The conference centre, like many other sites throughout the island, has suffered from the bad weather. The work has taken longer. We have been forced to ask the UN to postpone the conference,? Environment minister Rajesh Bhagwan explained.
Moreover, the conference expenses could be much higher than expected. The prime minister seems quite annoyed with the situation. The budget earmarked by the UN is definitely proving inadequate.?The estimates made at the beginning are now six times higher.? He said that the government would nevertheless find a solution since it would be a great disappointment for the country and impair its international image if it could not host the conference.
The government might ask the UN to propose ?more reasonable proportions? to allow the country to organise the conference. As a last resort, it might call on friendly countries or the European Union for financial support. If the conference still seems unfeasible, Mauritius will then ask the UN to hold it at its head-office in New York.
Paul Bérenger, however, does not seem keen on cancelling the conference and will do his utmost to host it. He may feel it could create an impression of vulnerability to give up the organisation of such an event and he may want to show that Mauritius is a big country, in spite of its size. The theme of this event will be the economic vulnerability of SIDS. The organizing country may have to prove that it deserves its title of ?Indian Ocean Tiger??
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