AVCOI: Maurice wins four seats and shines in Madagascar

A Mauritian delegation of 18 members, led by the Junior Minister of Local Authorities, Fawzi Allymun, returned from Madagascar with results considered more than positive. During the 13th General Assembly of the Association of Cities and Communities of the Indian Ocean (AVCOI), Mauritius obtained four of the 10 seats within the organization's governing bodies, a result that the Junior Minister describes as “historic”.

Four Mauritian communities will now sit in key positions in the AVCOI. The municipality of Quatre-Bornes was elected as co-president of the association, while Port-Louis, Vacoas-Phoenix and the Rivière-Noire District Council will hold vice-president positions.

For Fawzi Allymun, this victory goes far beyond the framework of a simple ballot. “It’s a source of great pride for Maurice. Obtaining four seats out of ten shows that our country is today recognized for its commitment within local communities in the region. It’s a collective victory,” he says.

The Mauritian delegation left the country on Monday to participate in the work organized on Tuesday and Wednesday in Antananarivo, before returning on Thursday. Faced with representatives from Seychelles, Madagascar, Mayotte and Reunion, Mauritius was able to convince its partners and strengthen its influence within this regional platform.

The Junior Minister would also like to salute the Malagasy authorities for their welcome, in particular the Minister of the Interior and Decentralization, Hanitra Velonjara Tiaray Rakotonandrasana. He also thanks the Minister of Local Government, Ranjiv Woochit, who entrusted him with the responsibility of leading this mission.

“I thank Minister Ranjiv Woochit for the trust he has placed in me. This mission was a real team effort and the results obtained are the fruit of the efforts of the entire Mauritian delegation,” he underlines.

Guest of honor during the opening ceremony, Fawzi Allymun was keen to recall the historical links between Mauritius and AVCOI. He notably paid tribute to the Minister of the Environment, Rajesh Bhagwan, whom he presented as one of the founding members of the association at the time when he served as mayor of Beau-Bassin–Rose-Hill.

In his speech, he also insisted on the role that young people must play in the transformation of local communities. Innovation, circular economy, waste management, adaptation to climate change and the fight against coastal erosion were among the main themes addressed during the work.

Beyond the elections, this mission opens up new prospects for cooperation for Mauritius. The delegation met officials from the International Association of French-speaking Mayors (AIMF), a partner of AVCOI thanks to funding from the European Commission. These exchanges could allow Mauritian communities to obtain access