Seychelles is set to benefit from ongoing support by United Nations agencies following a meeting between the UN Resident Coordinator for Seychelles and Mauritius, Lisa Singh, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Barry Faure, in Victoria.
The meeting on 27 November at Maison Quéau de Quinssy focused on the work carried out by UN agencies in Seychelles and how their programmes are supporting government ministries, departments and agencies.
Ms Singh briefed the minister on UN activities currently under way in the country, noting collaboration with national partners. She also congratulated Minister Faure on his appointment and said she hoped cooperation with the new administration would continue.
Representatives from UNFPA, UNAIDS, WHO and IOM presented updates on their work in Seychelles. They outlined how their initiatives are being implemented with local stakeholders, the approaches being used to address national challenges and the impact of their programmes in various sectors. These briefings highlighted the areas where Seychelles is receiving technical engagement, capacity support and programme-related assistance.
The UN team also discussed a training initiative on “systems thinking and strategic foresight” being delivered to the Ministry of Finance, National Planning, Trade and Investment. According to Ms Singh, this training is intended to strengthen policy makers’ ability to assess the country’s development path, providing additional capacity that Seychelles can apply within government planning processes.
Minister Faure outlined the government’s priorities for the next five years, including plans for smart governance and the use of AI in public administration. He said he hoped Seychelles could work with relevant UN programmes to advance these goals, positioning the partnership as a means to support improved public service delivery.