Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
List of issues in relation to the sixth periodic report of Mauritius **
1.The State Party is invited to submit in writing the information requested below (preferably not exceeding 10,700 words) by 30 April 2026 .
A.General information
2.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to ensure the justiciability of economic, social and cultural rights in the State Party’s domestic legal order. Please provide information on the cases in which the Covenant provisions have been invoked before or applied by domestic courts, if any, including the number of such cases and examples thereof. Please provide information on how the legislature was involved in the implementation of and follow-up to the previous concluding observations and in the development of the sixth periodic report.
3.Please provide updated information on the implementation of the Committee’s previous concluding observations, including which institutional mechanisms exist to coordinate follow-up and ensure implementation across ministries and sectors, as well as on the involvement of the National Human Rights Commission in this process.
4.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to strengthen the independence and effective functioning of the National Human Rights Commission in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), including by implementing the recommendations of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and the State Party’s own commitment under paragraph 68 of the National Human Rights Action Plan (2012–2020). Please clarify whether the National Human Rights Commission has been given an explicit mandate to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights.
5.Please clarify the steps taken to systematically collect disaggregated data by sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, health condition, region, income level and ethnicity to monitor the enjoyment of Covenant rights, including for Chagossians, and advise whether these data are publicly available. Please also provide information about how these data are being used to design and implement public policies to guarantee economic, social and cultural rights equally and without discrimination.
6.Please provide information on the legislative and policy framework in place to ensure that business entities operating in, domiciled in and/or owned by the State Party exercise human rights due diligence throughout their operations and are held accountable for violations of the rights covered by the Covenant. Please also provide information on the State Party’s progress in developing and adopting a national action plan on business and human rights to implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Please further provide information on cases brought by persons or groups affected by business operations and on the remedies provided to them.
7.Please provide information on measures taken by the State Party with regard to the mitigation of climate change, including specific measures, and their impact, to meet the nationally determined contributions for reducing emissions that the State Party has set itself under the Paris Agreement. Please also provide information on the progress made in reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions and on targets that the State Party has set for further reductions. What measures have been taken to seek international support and assistance to mobilize the financial and technological support to allow the State Party to respond to the effects of climate change according to previous recommendations of the Committee? With respect to climate change adaptation policies and measures, please provide information on:
(a)How the State Party assesses the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly for marginalized and disadvantaged individuals and groups;
(b)Whether the State Party has developed or plans to develop a national adaptation plan, with an adequate allocation of all required resources, to address the impacts of climate change on, inter alia, economic, social and cultural rights;
(c)Measures taken to strengthen preparedness for and responses to natural disasters, on disaster risk reduction measures and on measures taken to adopt a strategy to this end, with an adequate allocation of financial resources;
(d)Which institutions are tasked with the development and implementation of climate change adaptation measures and policies to address slow-onset impacts in different areas, such as agriculture, housing and health, and how coordination among the institutions responsible for disaster preparedness and management is ensured.
B.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)
Right to self-determination (art. 1)
8.Please provide information about measures the State Party has taken to ensure that the rights of the Chagossian people, as an Indigenous population, in relation to their ancestral lands, culture and identity, are respected, including by assuring effective participation in decision-making concerning reparations and their right to return to the Chagos Archipelago.
9.Please provide information on concrete steps the State Party has taken to ensure reparations for Chagossians born in the Chagos Archipelago, in particular in Diego Garcia, regarding their forced displacement and the prohibition on them returning to their ancestral land despite international legal findings affirming their right to return.
Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))
10.Please provide updated information on the evolution of the following, covering the past 10 years:
(a)The proportion of the population living below the nationally defined poverty line;
(b)Levels of inequality, before and after taxes and transfers, if possible defined as the ratio between the total income of the richest 10 per cent of the population and the total income of the poorest 40 per cent and as the ratio between the assets owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population and the assets owned by the poorest 50 per cent;
(c)The economy, particularly information about the annual variations of gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, and the level of public debt in proportion to GDP;
(d)The proportion of public revenue generated through taxes and as a percentage of GDP, the proportion of public revenue obtained through direct and indirect taxes, the corporate tax revenue rate and the percentage of total revenue generated from personal tax collected on the incomes of the richest 10 per cent of the population, as well as providing an evaluation of the amount of tax evasion and tax avoidance and the fiscal cost of the main tax benefits; and, in particular, whether the State Party has re-examined the role of corporate income tax in mobilizing domestic revenues, and information on progress towards the upward harmonization of corporate taxation in the region as recommended by the Committee in 2019;
(e)Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP and, within total public expenditure, the proportion of the public budget allocated to social spending, including social security, food, water and sanitation, housing, health and education;
(f)The level of defence expenditure, and indicate whether this has had any impact on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights;
(g)Any fiscal policies adopted in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, including measures introduced to support businesses and workers, pandemic‑related expenditures and revenue adjustments, and whether these policies are still in place or have been adapted to meet post-pandemic social protection and public health goals.
Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))
11.Please provide updated information on:
(a)Measures taken to eliminate discrimination in law and in practice, including whether the State Party intends to amend the Equal Opportunities Act and related legislation to include all prohibited grounds of discrimination, including sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and social origin, and whether it plans to revise section 19 (2) of the Act to ensure alignment with article 2 (2) of the Covenant;
(b)The steps taken to ensure legal protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, including through repeal of section 250 of the Criminal Code and the inclusion of gender identity and expression as protected grounds under the Equal Opportunities Act, the Employment Relations Act and the Workers’ Rights Act;
(c)Policies adopted to address structural discrimination and socioeconomic exclusion faced by Creole Mauritians, with respect to access to employment, education, healthcare, housing, and participation in public life;
(d)Measures in place to ensure that all Chagossian organizations, beyond the Chagos Refugees Group, are equitably represented in cultural initiatives, compensation schemes, and sovereignty or reparations negotiations.
12.Please describe how the Drug Users Administrative Panel and the newly created National Agency for Drug Control ensure voluntary access to services and meaningful participation by civil society, including organizations representing people who use drugs.
Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)
13.Please provide updated information on the realization of the equal rights of men and women and on measures taken to eliminate discrimination and gender inequality, including:
(a)Progress made under the National Gender Policy 2022–2030 to mainstream gender across the public, private and civil society sectors, and whether this includes measurable targets to reduce occupational segregation and increase women’s economic empowerment, particularly in the informal sector;
(b)Information on efforts to increase the representation of women in decision‑making positions in the public and private sectors, including the enforcement of quotas for political representation and minimum targets for boards of directors, and whether these measures are supported by sanctions or incentives;
(c)Whether the Government intends to adopt a comprehensive Gender Equality Bill that includes provisions to reduce the gender pay gap, to promote work-life balance and to recognize unpaid care work;
(d)Measures taken to combat gender-based violence, including the implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan on the Elimination of Gender-based Violence (2020–2024), and whether amendments to the Protection from Domestic Violence Act have been enacted to ensure inclusive and effective protection.
C.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)
Right to work (art. 6)
14.Please provide information on whether the Government plans to ratify:
(a)The Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29);
(b)The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
15.Please provide information on the impact of technical and vocational training programmes such as the National Apprenticeship Programme, the Women Back to Work Programme and the Youth Employment Programme, including the effect on access to decent work for women, youth, and people in Rodrigues.
16.Referring to paragraphs 40–44 of the State Party’s report, please clarify how labour legislation is enforced to ensure protection against discrimination in recruitment and occupation, particularly with regard to sex, caste, social origin, and HIV status, and whether targeted measures exist for women in the informal and domestic work sectors. In addition, please explain which steps are being taken to ensure that workers in the informal economy, including part-time, seasonal and home-based workers, benefit from labour and social protections equivalent to those in the formal economy, including minimum wage coverage and redress mechanisms.
17.Please clarify the Government’s response to the high rate of unemployment and the low rate of participation of women in the labour market, and the government plans to combat discrimination in recruitment, particularly affecting women employed in domestic and informal sectors.
(a)Please provide information on measures taken to extend labour protection to women working in the informal economy, including migrant women, and to facilitate their transition to the formal economy;
(b)Please report on the concrete impact of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment and Employment of Migrant Workers in Mauritius 2023, by the Mauritius Export Association and the International Organization for Migration, and of the Recruitment of Workers Act;
(c)Please provide information on measures applied by the Special Migrant Workers’ Unit, and their impact.
18.Referring to paragraph 4 of the Committee’s previous recommendations, please provide information on the Government’s response to the marginalization of Chagossians in employment, including barriers to formal work, to vocational training access and to fishing permits, and whether targeted employment or livelihood support schemes are being implemented for this population. How does the State ensure Chagossian participation in accordance with their rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in decisions related to maritime passage, fishing permits and marine resource management in the Chagos Archipelago – especially amid concerns over exploitation, overfishing and lack of consultation?
19.Please clarify how the Government plans to combat structural racial discrimination, stigmatization and marginalization targeting Creoles, notably those of African descent, migrants and refugees, and those residing in Rodrigues and Agalega, to reduce poverty and social exclusion among these communities and improve equal access to adequate employment.
Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)
20.Please provide disaggregated statistics on workplace accidents, and on complaints, including complaints before the Mauritian National Contact Point (established in 2024) regarding fines and sanctions issued, as well as information:
(a)On whether the current level of the national minimum wage, last adjusted in 2024, is sufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living for workers and their families, and provide information on mechanisms to monitor compliance across sectors, including the informal economy;
(b)On legal and practical measures in place to enforce the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, as enshrined in section 26 of the Workers’ Rights Act, and to close gender- and sector-based wage gaps, particularly in the agricultural sector and the sugar and tea industries; and on the persistence of occupational gender segregation;
(c)On steps taken to actively promote gender equality, support women entrepreneurs, and implement measures to prevent and address gender-based violence and sexual harassment in the workplace;
(d)On sexual harassment cases brought under the new section 114 of the Workers’ Rights Act of 2019, particularly new disaggregated data on cases under this section for 2024–2026;
(e)On steps taken to improve the working conditions and legal protections of domestic workers and atypical workers, including access to occupational health and safety services, paid leave, and recourse mechanisms;
(f)On measures taken to ensure the adequacy and frequency of labour inspections, including in high-risk sectors such as construction and domestic work, including information on measures aimed at strengthening the protection of workers during the recruitment process;
(g)On measures to strengthen capacity-building for law enforcement officials, social workers and health professionals on the early identification and referral to appropriate services of victims of trafficking and women and girls at risk, in particular migrant women and unaccompanied girls;
(h)On measures to address the low number of complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions, and the lenient sentences, in cases of trafficking in women and girls.
21.Please provide updated information covering the period 2024–2026:
(a)On reports indicating that migrant workers continue to be subjected to forced labour, human trafficking and sexual exploitation,and that the rights of migrant workers employed under the “work permit” regime are not always fully guaranteed;
(b)On the risks of adverse impacts on the rights of migrant workers in relation to issues such as debt bondage, confiscation and retention of documents (including passports), payment of recruitment fees, long working hours, inadequate lodging and substandard living conditions, non-payment of wages, early termination of contract, termination in the event of a pregnancy, repatriation, limitations on freedom of movement, and the impact of the measures the Government has already in place; and information about plans for new measures that the Government intends to implement to improve the situation of migrant workers, especially those of Creole and African descent;
(c)On how the State Party plans to improve the complaint mechanisms and provide complainants with the necessary assistance, including legal assistance, and whether the State Party is planning to apply deterrent penalties to contravening employers;
(d)On the human, financial and technical resources allocated for the implementation of the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act (2009), the Combating of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Act (effective January 2024) and the national action plan to combat trafficking in persons 2022–2026, and on the impact of these measures.
Trade union rights (art. 8)
22.Referring to paragraphs 34 and 35 of the Committee’s previous concluding observations, please provide updated information on:
(a)The measures in place to ensure freedom of association and protection from anti-union discrimination in all sectors, including private and informal work, and whether these protections apply to migrant workers and atypical workers;
(b)The procedures for trade union recognition, collective bargaining and strike actions, including whether current thresholds and procedures under the Employment Relations Act enable effective exercise of these rights in practice;
(c)Any legal or de facto limitations on trade union access to workplaces and digital platforms, and whether the State ensures the right of trade union representatives to reach all categories of workers, including in digital or remote settings;
(d)Measures taken to guarantee the right to organize and bargain collectively under national law, including for police officers, migrant workers, and workers in export‑oriented enterprises, and whether any categories of workers are excluded from such rights.
Right to social security (art. 9)
23.Please provide updated information on the coverage, adequacy and accessibility of social protection systems and benefits, including whether the current levels of the basic retirement, invalidity and widow/orphan pensions under the Social Protection System provide recipients with an adequate standard of living, and whether the State intends to adjust benefits to match inflation and living costs.
24.Please provide information on steps taken to expand contributory and non‑contributory coverage to informal workers, self-employed persons and migrant workers, including under the Social Contribution and Social Benefits Act 2021. Additionally, please describe the types of support available to persons with disabilities, including through the Disability Empowerment Unit, and indicate the status and implementation of the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill introduced in December 2023. In particular, please provide information on reasonable accommodation provisions as well as quotas and other measures to promote the employment of persons with disabilities. With regard to the announced reform to the Basic Retirement Pension, and its rationale, and whether proper and meaningful consultations are being undertaken with civil society, trade unions and pensioner groups as part of the reform process:
(a)What will the increase in the pension age to 65 mean for people in the informal sector and for unemployed or self-employed people? Can you explain whether you carry out any means testing, and how it works? What is your assessment on the distribution impact of that reform and its impact on the poverty rate;
(b)Please provide information about whether the Government plans to increase the amount of the basic retirement pension to a level that ensures an adequate standard of living for beneficiaries.
Protection of the family and children (art. 10)
25.Referring to paragraphs 103–108 of the State Party’s report, please indicate the status of the National Policy Paper on the Family and how it promotes access to child and elder care, support for persons with disabilities, work-life balance, and family well-being, including through parental leave, and support for workplace childcare and parenting programmes. Additionally, please describe measures to combat child marriage and child exploitation, and to ensure the effective implementation of the Children’s Act 2020, including the roles of the Children’s Court and the Child Development Unit, and national awareness efforts.
Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)
26.Please clarify the eligibility, scope and sustainability of the Marshall Plan Social Contract, including whether current thresholds are adequate to cover basic needs, and how the programme addresses poverty in rural and marginalized communities. Additionally, please explain the extent of access to adequate and affordable housing, including the implementation and oversight of the National Housing Development Co. Ltd. and New Social Living Development housing schemes, and whether residents’ rights are protected against forced eviction or loss of ownership.
27.Please indicate the State Party’s measures to guarantee access to adequate food and clean water, particularly in areas affected by climate change such as Rodrigues, and what steps are being taken to protect agricultural livelihoods and promote food security.
28.Please provide information regarding the access to adequate housing and basic services of Chagossian families living in underserved areas, such as Cassis, Roche-Bois and Baie du Tombeau. What measures exist to combat poverty among Chagossians and guarantee access to clean water, sanitation, electricity and food? What affirmative measures are being taken to recognize and protect fishing as a core element of Chagossian cultural and economic life?
Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)
29.Please describe the measures taken to ensure equitable and non-discriminatory access to quality healthcare services across all regions and populations, including Rodrigues, and for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, migrants, and people with HIV. Additionally, please provide information on the implementation and coverage of the National Mental Health Programme, including progress made on the decentralization of psychiatric services, and in the areas of community-based care, staffing levels, and anti-stigma efforts.
30.Please explain the steps taken to ensure comprehensive access to sexual and reproductive health services, including modern contraception, adolescent health education, and abortion and post-abortion services, and whether these are accessible without parental consent for minors. Please provide information about steps taken to prevent unsafe abortions and decriminalize abortion in line with the World Health Organization abortion care guideline, of 2022. Additionally, please provide information on measures taken to promote a shift away from punitive and police-led models with regard to drug-related issues and to expand and strengthen harm reduction programmes for people who use drugs, including methadone and needle exchange services, and whether these are available in prisons. Please also provide information on measures taken to guarantee the meaningful participation of people who use drugs and civil society organizations in the development, implementation and oversight of the drug policy under the National Agency for Drug Control.
Right to education (arts. 13 and 14)
31.Please provide updated information on measures taken, and their impact, to guarantee the right to inclusive, quality and equitable education at all levels, including:
(a)How the State Party is addressing inequalities in educational outcomes, particularly for students from low-income families and Creole or Chagossian backgrounds, including through the Priority Education Zones programme and the provision of school meals and materials;
(b)On efforts to improve access to and the quality of inclusive education for students with disabilities, including through the implementation of the Special Education Needs Authority Act, the training of teachers in inclusive pedagogy and the provision of assistive technologies;
(c)How the State Party addresses the high rates of truancy, particularly in secondary education;
(d)On measures taken to ensure integration of the Creol Morisien language into the curriculum, as well as on the relevant teacher training and educational materials, and on steps being taken to support Rodriguan Creole;
(e)On the expansion of vocational and technical training opportunities for youth, including those who do not pass the National Certificate of Education, and on the effect of this expansion on gainful employment.
Cultural rights (art. 15)
32.Please provide updated information on measures to ensure the right of everyone to take part in cultural life and benefit from scientific progress, including:
(a)How the Status of the Artist Act 2023 and the National Arts Fund ensure access to training, production support, and fair remuneration for professional and emerging artists across the country, and clarify whether artists in Rodrigues and Agalega are equally covered by these schemes;
(b)How cultural inclusion and support are extended to all ethnic and linguistic communities, including the Creole, Bhojpuri, Chinese, Chagossian and other minority language-speaking groups, and clarify whether speaking unions and cultural centres are equitably resourced and consulted;
(c)How the Government ensures affordable and equitable access to digital cultural content, and whether specific measures exist to bridge the digital exclusion affecting low-income and rural populations;
(d)Whether the State Party will formally recognize and preserve Chagossian cultural heritage and provide equitable access to cultural resources and representation in national memory and heritage policies.