The UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles multi-country Accelerator Lab is launching on 21 April at 15:00-16:30 (GMT+4). One of a few of its kind in the entire lab network, and based in Port-Louis, Mauritius, the Accelerator Lab will operate across three islands: Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Seychelles.

Small Island Developing States are usually remote, vulnerable to impacts of climate change, and often face challenges related to resources. But they are resilient, attractive, and have immense cultural richness. Mauritius and Seychelles are no different. Amid the ongoing global pandemic, the two countries continue to face hardships but have risen to the challenge, by showing ambition to recover better.

Prior to COVID-19, development challenges were complex enough, and now Mauritius, including Rodrigues, and Seychelles suddenly find themselves navigating new terrain. Nearly half of the world’s 3.3 billion global workforce are at risk of losing their livelihoods and gender parity just skipped another generation. In 2020, the economies of Mauritius and Seychelles contracted by 14.9% and 13.5% respectively, driven, in part, by the collapse of tourism, on which a majority of the population depend directly or indirectly for a livelihood. According to the socio-economic impact assessment conducted by UNDP in Mauritius, the pandemic also resulted in a more than 3% increase in domestic violence, largely perpetrated against women.

So, what do we do?

How can the UNDP contribute to green recovery and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals? How do we begin to tackle what appears to be an insurmountable task? The solution is not simple, but there is progress. In 2019, UNDP built the world’s largest and fastest learning network on sustainable development challenges by creating the global Accelerator Lab Network. Today, there are 91 labs spanning 115 countries.

The Accelerator Lab will be working on crucial issues facing Mauritius and Seychelles such as the impact of border closures, declining tourism, suffering businesses, and the gendered implications of COVID-19 on the labour markets. With challenges also come opportunities – small island economies can turn to the oceans for alternative livelihoods, youth can dream of getting a job in a rapidly emerging green economy, and individuals can make ambitious job transitions.

WE CAN ONLY DO THIS BY LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER, AND WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN RE-IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT FOR SMALL ISLAND ECONOMIES.