Six Seychellois from diverse backgrounds took part in the work of the Conference on Peace and Stability: Crisis Prevention and Mediation Efforts held in Port Louis, Mauritius, last week.
Co-organized by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the Indian Ocean, this two-day conference is one of the activities of the Governance, Peace and Stability project. (GPS) of the IOC and was assisted by around thirty people representing the Member States of the IOC and other international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
The Seychelles delegation was made up of the Permanent Liaison Officer of Seychelles to the IOC, Mr. Ralph Agrippina; SIFCO ( Seychelles Interfaith Council ) representative Reverend Danny Elizabeth; Ms. Irene Sirame from the Public Prosecutor’s Office; Mr. Michel Pierre, the vice-president of CEPS: Mrs. Diana Benoit, director of the James R. Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute of the University of Seychelles; and Mr. Cliff Alissop from the Disaster Risk Management Division.
During the opening of the conference, Mr. Vêlayoudom Marimoutou, Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) stressed that “our region of Indianoceania is globally at peace. We are fortunate – and this deserves to be underlined – to live in a space of stability of great human diversity. However, the risk exists. We are a stone’s throw from areas of tension; the neighboring shores are the scene of latent or open conflicts where criminal networks and deleterious forces are gaining a foothold; our ocean is coveted and, in fact, it is at the heart of global issues that are not free of risks; and finally, the multifaceted impacts of global shocks – climate, energy or pandemic – create situations of fragility, exacerbate inequalities,
SG Marimoutou pointed out that “this conference is a great opportunity to make a wish – not a pious wish like an overheard refrain, but a wish in conscience and responsibility: let us form the wish for collective action, sustained, systematic and open to prevent risks in Indianoceania and ensure regional stability in the long term. This is a completely realistic and achievable wish. To do this, we all have, at our level, a share of responsibility. The IOC will assume its responsibility within the scope entrusted by its decision-making bodies. I hope that national institutions, regional and international organizations and our partners will contribute to this through frank dialogue and shared vigilance”.
The conference was structured in three parts. A first part was dedicated to the introduction of principles and tools such as the concepts of mediation and preventive diplomacy, a second part on the experience of international and regional organizations in terms of crisis prevention and mediation and the third part on the national ownership in peacekeeping, conflict prevention and resolution. It was during this third installment of the conference proceedings that Diana Benoit made a presentation on the role of the James R. Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute of the University of Seychelles in maintaining peace in Seychelles.
During the discussions in the various groups, the Seychellois representatives pointed out that even if the Seychelles have so far been able to avoid the crisis situation, the crisis factors exist within society and that they must be eradicated by addressing through substantive debates that will pave the way for positive peace.
Source: Seychelles Nation
