On Thursday 2nd of November 2023, a delegation from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Mission to Seychelles met with the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Roger Mancienne. Also in attendance of the meeting was the Leader of the Opposition Hon. Sebastien Pillay, and the Leader of Government Business Hon. Bernard Georges. The delegation comprised of Seychelles Human Rights (SHR) Commissioner Mrs. Barbara Carolus-Andre, Deputy Regional Representative and Human Rights Officer Mr. Joseph Bonsu, and Human Rights Officer Mr. Johnny White.
After being welcomed by the Hon. Speaker, Mr. Bonsu clarified that this brief visit to Seychelles was intended as an initial step in extending the reach of the UN Office and undertaking a comprehensive needs assessment of the needs of the SHR Commission. First impressions of Seychelles’ awareness of Human Rights issues showed that as of 2022, all nine ‘core international human rights treaties’ have been ratified, and a more in-depth report is to be produced following this visit. The Hon. Speaker responded that this report would be of great interest to the National Assembly, and that Members of the Assembly would be receptive and willing to commit to the potential challenges that it may bring attention to.
Hon. Georges remarked that despite being recently enacted, the SHR Commission is a supportive mechanism that supplements the work of the government, judiciary, and of the National Assembly. Hon. Mancienne agreed, noting that continued respect to the SHR Commission reflected a respect to democracy and national unity - principles that are upheld by all three branches. Future plans for the inclusion and development of acceptance movements such as LGBTIQ+ issues, and gender-based hate crimes was also briefly discussed.
Hon. Pillay welcomed the delegation and noted that it was a privilege to take part in this meeting. The Leader of the Opposition gave a strong recommendation to the UN Delegation, regarding the procedures and interactions that were taking place during this mission. To ensure a more diverse and in-depth view of the complexities and socioeconomic contexts of Seychelles, Hon. Pillay advised the delegation to meet with more non-governmental offices and stakeholders, such as his own office as the Opposition. The delegation was also recommended to engage more with the National Assembly to generate a wider breadth of information for their future use in policy drafting and resource allocation.
The delegation thanked the Hon. Speaker, Hon. Georges, and Hon. Pillay for their words of support and counsel. It was again reiterated that this mission was a first step in a long series of developments for the SHR Commission, with the end goal of an in-depth report summarizing the needs and operations in Seychelles, and international verification to strengthen the Commission. The Hon. Speaker thanked them for their visit and wished them well in their endeavours. The fruitful meeting then came to a close.
