Mauritius: assessing its international agency

Abstract

Mauritius has developed international agency through various means. The island state occupies a strategically important location in the western Indian Ocean, with India as the leading power, but other powers such as China, the United States and France are also involved. International arrangements relating to sugar, textiles and financial services have provided opportunities for Mauritius. Given these favourable contexts, Mauritius has adopted international strategies emphasising bandwagoning in relation to India while also taking advantage of multilateralism to strengthen its economy and combat climate change. The experience of Mauritius in developing agency is relevant to other small island developing states.