Highlights Of Cabinet Meeting – Friday 22 April 2022

1. Cabinet has taken note that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, in collaboration with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre, would organise a multi-sector technical workshop in relation to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Mauritius, from 27 April to 29 April 2022. The workshop would focus on the following main objectives –

• the Sendai Framework Monitor Refresher;
• the Pilot   Training   on   Target   G:   Multi-Hazard       Early        Warning        System Effectiveness Custom Indicators for Mauritius; and
• the Midterm Review for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The workshop would serve as a platform to bring relevant stakeholders together and obtain their respective contributions and inputs for the preparation of the national Midterm Review report for Mauritius ahead of its final submission by September 2022. The workshop would be conducted in hybrid format in order to comply with COVID-19 sanitary protocols.

2. Cabinet has taken note of the implementation of the Air Quality Indexing System by the National Environmental Laboratory of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change which would, amongst others, involve the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with relevant public bodies in relation to the hosting of Fixed Ambient Air Monitoring Stations and Internet of Things sensors.
3. Cabinet has taken note that a Forensic Disciplines Exchange Event would be held in Mauritius from 16 to 20 May 2022. The Event would be organised by the Embassy of the United States of America in Mauritius, in collaboration with the United States of America Army, the Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). The objective of the Event is to nurture and promote exchanges between SETAF-AF experts and law enforcement agencies of Mauritius on topics such as forensic laboratory techniques, crime scene techniques, documentation and transportation of exhibits and customs and borders security.

The Event would enable participants to benefit from knowledge and skills sharing from the resource persons. Participants from the Mauritius Police Force, the Mauritius Revenue Authority (Customs Department) and the Forensic Science Laboratory would attend the Event.

4. Cabinet has agreed to the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security hosting the Training of Trainers Course on the flyway Approach to the Conservation and Wise Use of Migratory Waterbirds and Wetlands by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, in early February 2023.

The main aim of the training programme is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of flyway conservation, as well as to equip experts with the necessary skills and tools to design and deliver similar training courses at national level. Some 25 participants, including technical experts from Mauritius, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea- Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion and Mayotte as well as some relevant wildlife training institutions with a regional outreach in the target countries, are expected to attend the Course.

5. Cabinet has taken note of the status of road capital projects being implemented by the Road Development Authority as at 31 March 2022. For Financial Year 2021/2022, five projects have been completed, 11 projects are under construction, 13 projects are at design/procurement stage and one project is at conceptual stage.
6. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 507 million cases have been reported globally, of which 459.3 million persons have been successfully treated.

With regard to Mauritius, as at 20 April 2022, there were 410 active cases of COVID- 19, out of which 23 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 14 to 20 April 2022, one death was attributed to COVID-19.

Cabinet has also taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme including the administration of the booster dose in the Republic of Mauritius. As at 21 April 2022, 1,007,364 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 79.6 percent of the population). 973,303 persons were fully vaccinated (representing 76.9 percent of population). 620,724 persons had received a first booster dose (representing 49 percent of the population). 2,166 persons had received a second booster dose. 76.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years had received a first dose of vaccine and 70 percent had received a second dose.

7. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change to mark Earth Day, celebrated on 22 April. The theme for this year is “Invest in Our Planet”. The following activities would be organised –

• a Prize Giving Ceremony on 22 April 2022 relating to a poster competition which was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change in November 2021 among students of Higher Education Institutions on the theme “Innovative Climate Solutions for Sustainable Lifestyle in Mauritius”;
• sensitisation of the general public through radio programmes and dissemination of a message through the website of the Ministry and the Government Email Service to increase environmental literacy; and
• broadcast of adverts regarding the impacts of climate change on MBC TV and digital platforms, and airing of radio spots during peak times over the period 22 April to 13 May 2022.

7. Cabinet has taken of the activities being organised in the context of the Girls in ICT Day by the National Computer Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology. The event established by the International Telecommunication Union, would be celebrated on 28 April 2022 on the theme “Access and Safety”. The following activities would be organised –

• four bootcamps involving a maximum of 50 girls students each from Grades 10 to 12, would be conducted over two days. The participants would be introduced to block coding, and robotics through hands-on exercises. These activities would take place during the Easter holidays;
• a mini competition among the secondary schools would also be held at the end of each bootcamp. The competition would involve completing a semi-built robot from blocks and thereafter code the robot; and
• the Finale of the Girls in ICT Day 2022 would be scheduled around mid-May 2022 and would culminate in an award ceremony. A video that portrays the various facets of ICT careers through interviews of role models of women actively working or pursuing studies in the ICT field would be showcased.