Seychelles Roundup: SDG, air travel agreement, Paris 2024 Olympics
Safe Seas Africa programme
The European Union and Indian Ocean Commission have signed an agreement to implement the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) programme to enhance maritime security in Africa. The programme will strengthen regional coordination and collaboration to address piracy, drug trafficking, overfishing, and other illegal acts at sea, according to Seychelles News Agency. It will include joint maritime security efforts across the Gulf of Guinea, the western Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. The programme builds on existing regional agreements and mechanisms and will be implemented through the Regional Operations Coordination Centre in the Seychelles.
SDG Impact Standards
The Government of Seychelles and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working to boost the country’s private sector's role in sustainable development by introducing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Impact Standards to local enterprises. According to UNDP, the initiative empowers businesses to integrate sustainability principles and SDGs into their operations.
Documentary about Seychelles' first global debt swap
The Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) premiered a documentary about Seychelles' first global debt swap, which led to the protection of 30% of its Exclusive Economic Zone. The debt-swap initiative, finalised in 2015, forgave some of the country's foreign debt in exchange for investments in environmental conservation projects. The documentary aims to raise awareness of this revolutionary undertaking and will be accessible for public viewing on various platforms, Seychelles News Agency reports.
Interline agreement between Air Seychelles and Air Austral
Air Seychelles and Air Austral a French airline based at Roland Garros Airport, Réunion. have launched an interline agreement, allowing customers to travel between Seychelles and Réunion via Mauritius on a single ticket. The agreement comes after Air Austral cancelled its nonstop route between the two islands. Air Seychelles currently operates three times a week between Seychelles and Mauritius and will be offering passengers baggage check-in to their final destination. Both airlines are looking forward to a long and fruitful cooperation.
Paris 2024 Olympics
Three athletes from Seychelles have been selected to represent the country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. They will compete in swimming and athletics, according to Seychelles News Agency. This will be their first appearance at the Olympics, and they are hoping to achieve Seychelles' first Olympic medal.
