Seychelles’ bid for a non-permanent seat on UN Security Council gets SADC support |11 March 2015

Seychelles has received the support of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Council of Ministers for its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2017-2018.

The secretary of state in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Barry Faure, headed the Seychelles delegation at the SADC Council of Ministers meeting that was held from March 6-7, 2015 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The elections to the UNSC are due in June 2016, but the African Union will have to agree on its candidates during the Summit of January 2016.

The SADC Council of Ministers meeting reviewed the various on-going SADC programmes, projects and the financial status of the community.

Seychelles has been nominated on the SADC sub-committee for Finance together with South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique and Mauritius.
 
The sub-committee is expected to consider all financial and management matters pertaining to the functioning of SADC as a development community.

Seychelles’ regional integration process with SADC looks promising as Seychelles takes part actively in the finalisation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).

The plan outlines the priority programmes and projects of SADC for the next five years.

The Seychelles delegation highlighted the recognition of the specificities of  island states in SADC’s industrialisation strategy and infrastructural development programme for the region;  the need for SADC to also include non-continental infrastructural projects for the benefit of oceanic states; requested SADC to undertake commitments in a coherent manner especially in regards to the finalisation of negotiations for Tripartite Free Trade Area with Comesa (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) and EAC (Eastern African Community) as a necessary step towards the launch of the negotiations for a Continental Free Trade Area; and, reiterated our call for the Blue Economy concept to be integrated into the RISDP.

The meeting was also attended by the Kenneth Racombo, director general for development and regional integration, and Jonathan Berlouis, development programme officer from the Department of Foreign Affairs; Irene Croise, deputy comptroller general, and Rudy Rose, trade officer from the Ministry of Finance, Trade and The Blue Economy.