Day: May 10, 2023

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E Abshir Omar Jama (Huruse) received the copies of credentials from H.E. Michael Nithavrianakis, new Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Federal Republic of Somalia. ‘I wish Mr. Mike all the best in expanding our strategic partnership on national security, economic recovery, and humanitarian resilience’, the Minister said on a tweet.

Source: Somali National News Agency

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, will lead a high-level delegation to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to discuss the development of two major national projects, namely the Port Victoria and Seychelles International Airport developments, according to a press statement from State House on Tuesday night.

He will be accompanied the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, the Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, the Secretary of State for Finance, Trade and Investment, Patrick Payet, the chief executive officer of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Garry Albert, and the chief executive officer of Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA), Sony Payet.

In November 2022, EGIS Emirates was appointed for the review and preparation of an updated 30-year airport master plan for the Seychelles International Airport. The selection of EGIS Emirates, a global consulting, construction engineering and operating firm, was completed through a request for proposal through a memorandum of understanding. The MoU was signed between Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), SCAA and the Ministry of Transport in July 2022.

Meanwhile, in January 2021, a high-level delegation from the Abu Dhabi port visited Seychelles to provide technical advice for the expansion of Port Victoria and construction of other projects related to fishing ports.

Port Victoria, which is currently 270 metres long, will be extended by an additional 330 metres to accommodate two boats measuring up to 250 metres in length at the same time. Space will also be made for the installation of two mobile cranes for loading and unloading of ships, storage yards and warehouses.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

A group of 18 students, whose main interest lies in the fisheries sector, has been given a second chance to study at the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), where they will be undertaking the Sustainable Fisheries Programme for young seafarers.

The 18 students of various ages are those who did not get accepted to the academy upon completion of their secondary school studies but will now have the opportunity to learn various aspects of fishing and life at sea, during the four-months course.

Speaking to the students, during the orientation day held on Tuesday morning, the Director of SMA, Captain Prasanna Sedrick, urged the students to seize the second chance they have been given and to give it their best, so that this course can continue and benefit others.

“You, the young people of Seychelles are the backbone of the country, and we will give you everything you will need to succeed, but you also have to do your part,” said Sedrick.

As part of the programme, the students will learn numerous maritime techniques, including safety, marine mechanics, hook and line preparation, fish trap making and navigation, among others.

This marks another step in the country’s efforts to bring more young people into the fisheries sector, which at the moment is dominated by the older generation.

The programme is being supported by the Ministry for Fisheries and Blue Economy, the Ministry of Education, as well as the Ministry for Employment.

“Throughout the years, I have learnt that there are a number of students who do not qualify to get admission to the academy and they end up sitting at home for a long time, where they eventually lose interest in the field they had dreamt of working in,” said the fisheries minister, Jean-Francois Ferrari.

He added that this is not a good thing, and this is why this second chance has been given to these young people.

Addressing the students during the launch of the course, Ferrari expressed his desire to see all the students succeed in this course and go on to higher levels.

“If you fail, I will also fail,” he said. “We have given you a second chance to develop and get a career in the sector you love and you must make the most of it.”

One of the students, Aurelie Yat-Kwan, aged 16, said that her dream is to work on one of Seychelles’ tankers.

“When I got the call from the minister himself, telling me about this course, I had no hesitation at all in saying yes,” said Aurelie, who said that after finishing her secondary studies last year and failing to be accepted by SMA, she has been out at sea with her uncle during this time.

Speaking to the media, the head of fisheries programme at SMA, Michael Barbe, said the aim is for this programme to continue, where others can join in the future and help to keep the sector alive, especially among the younger generation.

“We definitely want to have more of this and hope we can have a second one before this year ends, where we want it to be open to not only students who have just finished secondary education, but to anyone looking to get into the fisheries sector,” added Barbe.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Member countries of the Africa Island States Climate Commission (AISCC) are gathering in a three-day meeting to reach a consensus on the best practical ways to put into operation the AISCC and also discuss the expectations for the upcoming 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in Dubai in November.

The technical and expert group meeting, being held in Seychelles from May 10 to May 12, seeks to establish a governance framework for the commission, debrief members on the outcome and follow-up of COP 27 – specifically the implications for African island states and how African island states individually and collectively are moving towards the implementation.

In his pre-recorded opening statement, the Seychelles’ President and chair of AISCC, Wavel Ramkalawan, outlined that “this is a unique opportunity for all members of AISCC to interact with each other and our key international partners and come up with concrete actions to be taken to make the climate commission finally operational.”

“It is vital now, more than ever, for the commission to provide support to member countries in addressing their climate ambitions, and act as a joint mechanism that allows countries to come together and address climate at the sub-regional level,” said Ramkalawan.

President Wavel Ramkalawan (State House) Photo license: CC BY

Seychelles’ agriculture, climate change, and environment minister, Flavien Joubert, said that “today we will be working on its establishment, and components that will ensure that in the future it will continue to function and provide results for its members.”

“At the same time, we are also considering different propositions and actions that we will take in the future. We have the Great Blue Wall [Initiative] that covers the conservation of the ocean, and we want it to be extended to Western African countries. There are also propositions on finance that will be placed forward among others,” said Joubert.

“We expect to have concrete information and propositions to place on the table when we meet with ministers in an online debriefing that will be held towards the end of the year during COP. We hope to get the commitment of other countries on the actions and that of partners when it comes to their support. We think that with this, African islands can get to a level that will allow them to undertake climate-related actions on the same levels as other big countries,” he continued.

The technical meeting will also encompass two extraordinary general meetings dedicated to exploring the issuance of a regional-level blue bond and the development of blue carbon markets in the African island states.

AISCC was set up on the sidelines of the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP22) held in Marrakech in 2016. Seychelles is the chair of the Commission with other member states being Cabo Verde, Comoros, Equatorial New Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, and Tanzania.

Its aim is to enable the African Island States to work together towards a shared, long-term vision to effectively take ownership of its available resources, namely its ocean spaces. This is to be done by inspiring leadership and facilitating collaboration in mobilizing financial resources and technical expertise at national, regional, and international levels to combat the climate crisis.

Source: Seychelles News Agency