7. For the twelfth consecutive year Mauritius has maintained the position of a top performer in the overall governance in Africa according to the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) 2018. 8. According to the latest World Bank annual ratings, Mauritius is now 20th in the ease of doing business. It has been improving its ranking over the last years from 28th in 2015, 25th in 2017. Both the International Monetary Fund and Moody’s have described the economic performance of Mauritius as being strong and resilient. In March 2018, Moody’s affirmed the current Baa1 sovereign credit rating for Mauritius due to its stable outlook. 9. Mauritius HDI value for 2017 is 0.790 which put the country in the high human development category, position it at 65 out of 189 countries and territories. The income inequality has been reduced with Gini Coefficient being improved from 0.414 in 2012 to 0.400 as per Statistics Mauritius’s Household Budget Survey 2017. 10. The Kreol Morisien (KRM) is the widely used language in Mauritius but it is not the official language. Government is in the process of setting up of the Akademi Kreol Repiblik Moris (AKRM) to develop and promote KRM as the key medium, component and expression of Mauritian heritage, culture and traditions in its unity and diversity and follow up on the development and use of the Kreol language in the Republic of Mauritius. 11. Climate change is one of the most critical challenges for Mauritius. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Mauritius is ranked 14th as regards its disaster risk and is the 7th most exposed to natural hazards. Above all, the life of our citizens may be at risks due to the more frequent calamities and their unpredictability. We are bound to build resilience to climate change and facilitate our adaptation. We are exposed to the impacts of climate change in a disproportionate way, which could hamper our progress on poverty alleviation, economic growth and stability and our ability to meet the sustainable development goals. We have never met with a greater sense of urgency. Climate change is considerably disrupting national economies, affecting livelihood, and costing people and communities. 12. According to the latest World Risk Report 2018, Mauritius is ranked as the 16th country with the highest disaster risk and ranked 10th on the list of countries most vulnerable and exposed to natural hazards. Indeed, as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), it is known that Mauritius is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. The irony is that we are being disproportionately impacted in spite of the fact that Mauritius’ contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is being only around 0.01%. 13. The effects of climate change are visible. High intensity cyclones have become more frequent in our region and changing rainfall patterns with flashfloods, which are now common. In 8