Seychelles shows best practice in setting up regional framework |27 February 2014

Seychelles was invited to showcase the functioning of its national inter-ministerial coordinating committee (NIMCC) for regional integration as part of the 32nd Comesa council of ministers held in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seychelles was chosen as one of the countries with the best NIMCC for regional integration within the region.

The main aim of the NIMCC for regional integration is to coordinate the implementation of regional programmes at national level and to monitor and report on progress arising in the implementation of those regional programmes.

The Seychelles NIMCC is chaired by Jean-Paul Adam, Minister for Foreign Affairs and comprises representatives from various government ministries and departments, the Central Bank, the private sector and civil society.

Seychelles is a member of two different Regional Economic Communities (Recs) – the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The two economic communities agreed to cooperate in the development of their respective economies through regional integration and trade development. It is recognised that one of the major limits to the effectiveness of integration is that too often policy directives and regulations emanating from regional integration organisations or institutions do not trickle down to the national policies and national plans of member states for implementation.

Moreover, the multiple membership of Seychelles to these Recs imply that duplication of work occurs on a regular basis, but it also leads to effectiveness in implementing, monitoring and evaluating the different programmes given the limited human resource capacity available. As such, in order to better coordinate and oversee the implementation of regional integration programmes, the establishment of a national inter-ministerial coordinating committee is necessary.