It's sounding more and more like the role ascribed to the Philippines in Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon - a pivotal technology hub of the new world with the required legal and tax framework to let real innovation take off.

A World bank report, news of the Island's coast-to-coast wireless, bright prognostics from the UN, plus talk of a cyber-island, technology hub and the "singapore of Africa" from sources like Time magazine and Harvard are all convincing me right now.

The statement from the Mauritian government itself spells it out for you,

Mauritius is now poised to become a cyber island and to serve as an info-communications hub in the region. The vision of an information society dates back to the early 1990s. However, recent top level commitment coupled with the creation of an enabling environment has given Mauritius a new impetus. It is Government's declared policy to make ICT the fifth pillar of the economy alongside sugar, textiles, financial services and tourism.

Now that's what i call a New World Agenda.