High level AU delegation holds talks with President Ramkalawan |07 August 2021

Members of the high levelAU delegation holding talks with President Ramkalawan (Photo: Jude Morel)

Blue economy, sustainable environment and climate change; and how to best transform the economy on the African continentwere among the subjects of discussion between President Wavel Ramkalawan and a high level delegation from the African Union, yesterday afternoonat State house.

Headed by Ambassador Josefa Sacko, commissioner for agriculture, rural development, sustainable environment and the blue economy at the African Union (AU), the delegation is in the country to co-host the commemoration of the African Union’s 2021 ‘African Day of Seas and Oceans’ which was held after the meeting.

Also present at the discussion were Vice President Ahmed Afif and Designated Minister Jean-François Ferrari who is also responsible for the fisheries and blue economy portfolios.

“We were able to look at all the agenda of the African Union and as you know Seychelles is thecoordinator of the African Island Commission for Climate and also the champion for the blue economy. So I was able to brief the president on all these programmes, on what we can do in order to really start implementing and taking advantage and potential of the blue economyand the oceans and the seas that we have,in order to transform the socio-economic development of our continent,” said Ambassador Sacko.

She noted that the climate commission, coordinated by Seychelles, is of great importance to address island issues given the fact that they all have different specific challenges.

“So we have to identify key activities in order to really make sure that our citizens have access to a better life and also address issues of food security and nutrition on the continent,” noted Ambassador Sacko who addedthat the blue economy is one of the priorities of the AU among all other sectors.

Ambassador Sacko said the AU is making some reforms among which the structure of theblue economy is being realigned and transferred to a new departmentalong with the process of recruiting skilled African personnelto work with the blue economy in that department which falls under her guidance.

“We have our own African blue economy strategy which we need to implement. We believe that with the experience that Seychelles has in the blue economy, especially through the very rich maritime special plan that we got to familiariseourselves with through the bilateral visit to the Ministry of Fisheries, it can serve as a model to really disseminate in all other countries in order for it to be implemented,” Ambassador Sacko explained.

She stated that the AU is in the process of domesticating the African blue economy strategy to the national plan so that all countries can have its own blue economy strategy just like Seychelles.

Vice President Afif and Minister Ferrari also took part in the discussions along with other members of the AU delegation whoincluded Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, director of the department of sustainable environment and blue economy; Linda Etta, coordinator for the blue economy; Barkha Mossae, technical advisor for the blue economy; Leah Wanambwa Naess,senior policy officer for climate change; and Molalet Tsedekscommunication officer.

The delegation leaves the country today.

Patrick Joubert