From Monday 25th to Wednesday 27th of September 2023, the Committee for Food Security and Sustainable Development (FSSD) attended the Southern Africa Regional Parliamentary Meeting on Climate Change, in Gaborone, Botswana. The FSSD Committee was represented by the Chairperson Hon. Flory Larue, Committee Member Hon. Norbert Loizeau, and Committee Secretary Mrs. Gillian Samson.
Seychelles was one of thirteen countries in the Southern African Regional Parliament to contribute significantly on the issues of climate change and the best practices to enable legislation on both the local and regional level. Participants gained an understanding of the salient features of a model Climate Change Law by considering the Kyoto Protocol to the UN framework, the Paris Agreement, and current domestic legislations.
Each country presented their current status on climate change legislations. In her presentation, Hon. Larue did not miss the opportunity to include the works of the Environmental Policy Implementation Committee (EPIC) of the National Assembly Secretariat, and the involvement of Members of Parliament in the ongoing eco-friendly practices and commitments. The National Assembly of Seychelles has been an inspiring representation as the only regional Parliament to have created and supported the development of a secretariat-driven environmentally conscious committee.
The three-day meeting was hosted by the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This was in preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) which will be held in UAE at the end of this year.
