A delegation representing the National Assembly participated in a high-level workshop on ‘Strengthening capacities to Develop a Robust and Coordinated Nationally Sustainable Enhanced Transparency Framework in Seychelles’ from Monday 27th to Thursday 30th April 2026 at L’Escale Resort. The workshop was coordinated under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership Action Fund (PAF) project to support governance for effective implementation of NDCs and Paris Agreement obligations in the Seychelles. The delegation comprised of Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Fisheries & Tourism (CEFT) Hon. John Hoareau, Hon. Sathya Naidu, Hon. Claudette Louise and Deputy Clerk and Committee Clerk of the CEFT Ms. Alexandria Faure. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), through its Montevideo Environmental Law Programme, supports countries in developing and strengthening environmental rule of law and building related capacities.
The four-day workshop involved detailed presentations and engaging group work on varied topics such as data governance, reviewing frameworks of other states in relation to climate change legislation, institutional mapping, progress tracking and NDC development as well as data policy decision making. The interactive sessions involved participants from the Environment, Tourism sectors as well as local consultants. The facilitators providing the training were; Legal Officer from UNEP Renée Gift, Anglophone Africa Network Coordinator Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency - Global Support Programme (CBIT-GSP) UNEP Sheila Kiconco, and Senior Advisor - Climate Transparency Mitigation Analysis and Data Management Section from the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Center (UNEP CCC) Khetsiwe Khumalo.
Vice-Chairperson Hon. Hoareau remarked that; “The workshop provided me with the opportunity to have an in-depth knowledge on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that Seychelles agreed upon in the Paris agreement. I also had the opportunity to examine issues related to the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) reporting mechanism. Secondly, I gained thorough insights in climate change governance legislations of different countries and the urgency for Seychelles to have a similar act to guide our efforts to achieve our NDCs.”
Both Hon. Louise and Hon. Naidu found the workshop to be ‘deeply enriching and insightful, especially the frank discussions which were an eye opener. Certain gaps in respect of data collection and collaboration in sharing information were raised. Alongside the need to sensitize key Ministries and Departments across different sectors.’ Stating that ‘we remain committed as parliamentarians and look forward to playing an active role in the continued dialogue as a key stakeholder.’
This project is being led by the UNEP Law Division, in collaboration with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and the UNEP Climate Change Division. For Seychelles, the ETF presents an opportunity to address a commitment to meet international reporting requirements, and to use transparency systems to inform domestic climate policy, guide investment decisions, and strengthen accountability across government.
