UN General Assembly
1968

63. The Government of Mauritius hopes, moreover, that the various agencies of the United Nations will give continuing attention to the painful problem of overpopulation in the world. Mauritius, with a population density of over 1,000 per square mile, is in a good position to know about the depressing effects of demographic pressure. Despite my Government’s herculean efforts to diversify and expand the national economy, and although our liberal policy of family planning has given results that promise well for the future, overpopulation remains the implacable foe of our social and economic progress. Underemployment and unemployment have reached alarming levels, and my Government cannot afford to relax for a moment its efforts to control the situation by all possible means. Faced with this sombre outlook, we place a high value on aid and co-operation from international organizations and friendly nations. I take this opportunity to express publicly our gratitude to the various branches of the United Nations, particularly the United Nations Special Fund, for the help and encouragement they have given us in the recent past.