Synopsis of Issues Raised:The complaint lays out a number of grievances with the current environmental and conservation landscape in Mauritius, and alleges that UNDP-GEF's work in the country to protect Environmental Sensitive Areas is tantamount to greenwashing in light of the permits being issued by the government for construction projects along the country's coast. An excerpt from the complaint: "The latest UNDP-GEF programme is supremely ironic: over 2018 -2021, to the tune of 4.7 million US Dollars, it will aim at producing tools for better protection of coastal ESAs and ensuring Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Except that since the start of 2018, a number of new beach hotels and luxury estate projects have been approved by the Ministry of Environment in the coastal zone, with a further dozen at least under consideration. ESAs present within or adjacent to hotel project sites are being approved for destruction on a rapid and grand scale. Their existence, though explicitly identified in the 2009 ESA inventory, is barely mentioned, if not omitted in the EIA reports submitted by developers and EIA licenses subsequently issued by the Ministry. This new UNDP-GEF programme will be a total waste of money if the Government does not freeze all current EIA licenses and building permits for major developments on the coast, as there will not be much left to protect by the time this new GEF and UNDP programme will conclude. GEF and UNDP will in effect be validating the way the Government of Mauritius is managing development in coastal areas. This is tantamount to greenwashing."
