MANCHAM CONFERS WITH RAMGOOLAM

ON his way to India to attend the 8th Chief Justices of the World Conference in Lucknow - Founding President James R Mancham transited through Mauritius where he paid a courtesy call on the Mauritian President, H.E. The Right Honourable Navin Ramgoolam and discussed with him the plight of the Chagossian people and Mauritius' sovereignty claim over the Chagos archipelago.

Few days later (on the 8th of December, 2007), concluding what was described as a “Presidential Address” at the 8th International Conference of the Chief Justices of the World in Lucknow India, Seychelles President Sir James R. Mancham who is also President of the Global Peace Council of the Universal Peace Federation, appealed to the Government of India to use its influence with the USA and the UK to find an equitable, fair and just solution to the plight of the Chagossian people and the claim of the Government of the Mauritius to the sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago.

Reminding India of the extent to which it opposed the build up of the US naval, military and air complex on the island of Diego Garcia in the early sixties when, alongside the former Soviet Union, India was actively pursuing the policy of “Indian Ocean  Zone of Peace”.  The Founding President said that now that India and the USA are engaging themselves in joint naval exercises in the zone and now that an Indian has become the Secretary General of the Common-wealth, India was in a unique position to influence the American and UK Government to find an equitable and just solution to the Chagos problem.

Before his arrival in Lucknow Founding President Sir James R. Mancham, in New Delhi led a group of about 40 Chief Justices of various nations to a meeting at the Presidential Palace with the President of India H.E. Mrs. Pratibha Patil who has agreed to patronize the 9th Chief Justices of the World Conference that will be held in Lucknow next December.

Following the meeting with the President of India Founding President Mancham was presented with the Scroll of Honour of the International Council of Jurists and the All India Bar Association at a Dinner Reception hosted at the Sheraton Murati, New Delhi  by the Chief Justice of India Mr. K.J. Balakrishnan.