From the 9th to the 11th December, Hon. Flory Larue, Hon. Clifford Andre and Hon. Waven William attended the 17th edition of the annual African Economic Conference (2022) held in Balaclava, Mauritius. The theme this year was “Supporting Climate-smart Development in Africa”, and focus was given to Africa’s vulnerability to climate change and the need to transition to low-carbon development.
The Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Dr. Hanan Morsy, highlighted the fact that sustainable and climate-smart development was not an option but a necessity for Africa as a whole. Dr. Morsy commended the young researchers and all those who participated in the event as the continent is in need of swift change in regards to climate change issues and the inclusive transition to green development.
Invited to the event was a variety of stakeholders including policymakers, climate experts and related researchers, established academics, members of the private sector, and members of our African youth. Data presented at the conference facilitated discussions on the negative impacts of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict on the development and financing opportunities for African states. The Africa Sustainable Development Report (ASDR), which is the only report that tracks the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was presented and offered policy recommendations to all representative countries to reach their socio-economic and environmental goals. The hybrid event (hosted both virtually and in person) provided ample information on the possibilities of African states transitioning to full use of renewable energy and the substantial costs involved, as well as the importance of ocean economies and food security. During the conference, Seychelles was congratulated and used as an example of a country that was able to raise funds through blue bonds for climate-smart investments.
Alongside the main theme of the conference was a sideline launch of the 7th edition of the Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI), which tracks migration policies adopted by African governments. Alongside Benin and The Gambia, Seychelles was one of only three countries to offer visa-free entry to Africans of all other countries. It is important to note that there is now an even split between travel that is visa free and travel where a visa may be obtained on arrival at the destination country. However, the report this year showed a trend in the simplification of visa regimes and fewer restrictions overall in countries across the continent, showing a greater recognition that “human mobility is key to Africa’s integration efforts.”
