Friends of Aldabra urges Unesco action on Assomption threat |20 June 2026
Friends of Aldabra is calling on Unesco to break its silence on the threat posed by a Qatari-funded luxury hotel development on Assomption Island, just 27 km from Aldabra Atoll – one of the world’s most ecologically significant Unesco World Heritage Sites – and to place the issue on the agenda of the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, Korea, opening July 19, 2026.
On June 12, 2026, the Seychelles Commission of Inquiry into the sublease and development of Assomption Island handed its final report to President Patrick Herminie. The report validated concerns raised by Friends of Aldabra since 2024, highlighting environmental risks and institutional failures. Commissioner Judge Mathilda Twomey described the nearly 100-page environmental chapter as “very concerning”, citing Executive interference and recommending further investigation by the Attorney General, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Financial Intelligence Unit. The Commission formally acknowledged Friends of Aldabra’s contribution to proceedings.
Unesco: A pattern of selective silence
Since November 2024, Friends of Aldabra has repeatedly contacted Unesco HQ – including Director of the World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo and the Chief of the Africa Unit – without receiving a direct response. This silence is puzzling given the escalating threat to Aldabra.
The most recent IUCN World Heritage Outlook (2025) rated invasive species risks linked to the Assomption development as a “Very High Threat”. Reports suggest construction is ongoing.
On May 15, 2026, Friends of Aldabra raised concerns about the governance and scientific independence of the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), Unesco’s partner mandated to protect Aldabra. The Seychelles government has since tasked SIF with overseeing biosecurity for the Assomption hotel project – a conflict of interest. In response, Friends of Aldabra received an apparent misdirected message from SIF’s chief executive, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, stating: “Unesco will not entertain them.”
This silence contrasts sharply with Unesco’s public commitments to youth engagement. Friends of Aldabra – a youth-led organisation mobilising global youth – has received no direct response in nearly two years, even as Unesco partners in publicity campaigns celebrating Aldabra’s beauty.
How long can institutions look away?
Young people worldwide are losing faith in multilateral institutions, often seen as slow, unaccountable, and disconnected from affected communities. Friends of Aldabra’s experience illustrates this disconnect. For Unesco to ignore youth-led warnings about one of its most iconic sites raises serious questions about its credibility.
The upcoming 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan is an opportunity for accountability. Given the pace of development, the lack of due process, and sidelined environmental commitments, Aldabra urgently needs formal attention.
Contributed by Friends of Aldabra