Secretariat support for Seychelles
Human rights
Advisers at the Commonwealth Small States Office (CSSO) in Geneva helped Seychelles prepare to report on human rights in the country under the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.
Legal reform
The Secretariat advised Seychelles on reform of its laws on cybercrime and intellectual property. It also helped Seychelles draft a law to address the problem of male violence against women and girls.
Tackling corruption
The Secretariat produced a publication on anti-corruption which included Seychelles as a case study. It also sent an expert to help investigations at the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles.
Climate change
The Commonwealth Secretariat supports Seychelles to deliver climate action by building its capacity to access international climate finance through the Climate Finance Access Hub and supporting the development of robust climate policies.
Education
The Secretariat helped Seychelles strengthen school councils and build skills to improve state school management.
Gender equality
The Secretariat hired a consultant to help Seychelles collect data to measure the economic cost of violence against women and girls (VAWG). It developed a tool to measure this cost with Seychelles as the first case study.
Trade
In 2019, the Secretariat gave Seychelles advice on World Trade Organization reform and disputes, trade negotiations and emerging trade issues.
Sustainable development
In 2018-19, the Secretariat sent an expert to Seychelles to advise on using its ocean resources sustainably. It is also helping Seychelles to share knowledge on sustainable energy with other member states.
Blue Charter
Seychelles champions the Action Group on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
In 2020, the island nation set aside 30 per cent of its marine territory, or about 410,000 square kilometres, to be legally protected from activities that damage the marine environment.
Seychelles achievement of 30 per cent coverage is far beyond international targets of 10 per cent by the end of 2020.
Seychelles is also a member of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, Ocean Acidification, Sustainable Aquaculture and Sustainable Blue Economy Action Groups.
