Mauritius Signs ISA’s Country Partnership Framework

• 16 Apr 2025

Why in News? 

The Republic of Mauritius and the intergovernmental organisation International Solar Alliance (ISA) signed a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to strengthen solar cooperation and accelerate the clean energy transition. 

 International Solar Alliance (ISA) 

• About: 
  • The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies. 
    • Its basic motive is to facilitate energy access, ensure energy security, and drive energy transition in its member countries. 
  • The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions. 
• Vision: 
  • Let us together make the sun brighter. 
• Mission: 
  • Every home, no matter how far away, will have a light at home. 
• Headquarters: 
  • The Headquarters is in India with its Interim Secretariat being set up in Gurugram. 

 Key Points 

• The Country Partnership Framework (CPF): 
  • The CPF outlines a structured, strategic approach for collaboration on solar projects and policy support. 
  • Mauritius is the first African country and the fourth globally (after Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Cuba) to sign this framework. 
    • The CPF is valid for three years, with a provision for renewal based on mutual agreement. 
• Country Partnership Strategy (CPS): 
  • Following the CPF, ISA and Mauritius will co-develop a Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) aligned with Mauritius's national energy goals. 
  • The CPS will be country-driven and needs-based, focusing on enabling conditions for solar deployment. 
  • Key Focus:  
    • Strategic Planning & Regulation: 
      • Formulation or revision of solar energy roadmaps. 
      • Development of regulatory frameworks to facilitate solar applications. 
    • Technology & Capacity Building: 
      • Establishment of a Solar Technology Application Resource Centre (STAR-C). 
      • Training and upskilling in technical, regulatory, and financial domains. 
    • Deployment of Solar Applications: 
      • Promotion of solar rooftops, floating solar, agrivoltaics, and solar water pumping. 
      • Support for solar-driven green hydrogen initiatives. 
    • Exploration of solar ferries and other innovations tailored to island ecosystems. 
• ISA’s Ongoing Role in Mauritius: 
  • Mauritius, a founding member of ISA, has actively partnered in ISA-led initiatives. 
  • Notable among them is the solarisation of the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, implemented under the ISA CARES Initiative, which aims to solarise healthcare facilities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). 
    • The hospital, originally established in 1984 with Indian support, was solarised in June 2024. 

 Small Island Developing States (SIDS)  

• Small Island Developing States (SIDS) refer to a group of small island nations and territories that face shared challenges in sustainable development, alongside significant social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities.   
  • Some of SIDS include the Maldives, Seychelles, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Guyana, and Singapore.  
• SIDS are primarily located in three major geographical regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean & South China Sea (AIS) regions.  
• At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 1992, SIDS were formally recognized as a special case due to their unique environmental and developmental challenges.