Africa Island States Climate Commission launched |11 February 2020

• A holistic approach for island states in a changing climate

Vice-President Vincent Meriton hosted the official launch of the Africa Island States Climate Commission, themed ‘A holistic approach for island states in a changing climate’, on the margins of the AU Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Commission was set up in 2016 in Marrakesh during COP 22, alongside two other Commissions namely the Congo Basin Commission and the Sahel Commission.

The main objective of this Commission is to advocate for firmer unified actions to address the issue of climate change as well as biodiversity challenges, so as to deliver on related urgent priorities of common concerns.

In his address, Vice-President Meriton as the head of delegation of the chairing country of this Commission, reiterated the full commitments of President Danny Faure’s vision of the Africa Island States Climate Commission and reaffirmed his leadership in combating climate change and simultaneously protecting biodiversity of global significance and achieving sustainable development in African island states.

“Given firm political will, from our respective governments, the process will yield benefits to member countries and the continent as a whole,” said Vice-President Meriton.

As part of the Seychelles’ delegation at the event, Wills Agricole, principal secretary for Energy and Climate Change, highlighted the status and background of the Island States Commission in a changing climate. In his presentation Mr Agricole emphasised that “the goal is to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development in Africa’s island states”.

As the leading country, Seychelles is partnering with Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania as members of this Commission, as well as with the following agencies government of the Kingdom of Morocco (Agency), GEF, ADB, AFDB, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green Climate Fund (GCF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

The session was moderated by Fatime Kanté, senior economist from the Blue Economy department.

Also in attendance at the event were Dr Marina Confait, principal secretary for Foreign Affairs; Kenneth Racombo, principal secretary in the Blue Economy department; Ambassador David Pierre, permanent representative of the Republic of Seychelles to the African Union, and other senior officials from the department of Foreign Affairs and the embassy of Seychelles in Addis Ababa.

Press release from the department of Foreign Affairs