Historical moment

I've always been vocal about one thing: the life of a diplomat isn't what it seems. Far from being glitzy travels, fat paycheck and champagne and caviar at endless receptions, the reality is rather grim - long and irregular hours, a laughable salary, a constant pressure to justify your existence and achievements and the recurring wish to hide under your duvet and blot out the world when bureaucracy and idiocracy get too much. However, there are some moments which make it worth it.

This Thursday was one of them.

A diplomat's first and foremost mandate is to defend the interests of their country. One of the major campaigns that Mauritius has led is to defend our sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. It's a matter of principle.

On Thursday, we tuned in to the UN live webcast to watch the 71st session of the UN's General Assembly - which would put Mauritius's resolution to the vote - the resolution to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice about the Chagos Archipelago.

Working long hours is nothing new; but on that day, there was a palpable tension as we sat down in the Conference room - young diplomats and seasoned heads of Directorate alike.

We tensed through the speeches and held our breaths when the voting started... and missed a beat when the votes were displayed: a clear majority in favour of Mauritius!

It was indescribable.

At that moment, you are no longer yourself: you are the country. You are pride itself. You are the courage of a small nation standing tall against injustice. At that moment, nothing matters except the overwhelming pride that you feel for your colleagues who worked day and night to achieve this victory against all odds, the gratitude to the countries who resonated with you, the sense of being united in one mission.

We raised a glass (of juice) and banged the table, congratulating each other, our colleagues in New York and abroad and feeling well and truly part of the global community.

Those moments are what make the job special.