On the afternoon of Tuesday 12th December 2023, the International Affairs Committee (IAC) met with representatives of the Foreign Affairs Department (FAD) to review the Samoa Partnership Agreement. The IAC, led by its Chairperson Hon. Waven William, was comprised of Vice- Chairperson Hon. Wavel Woodcock, Hon. Johan Loze, Hon. Egbert Aglae, Hon. Phillip Arissol, and Hon. Kelly Samynadin. Assistance was provided by Committee Secretary Ms. Emma Didon, and Assistant Committee Secretary Mr. Darel Atala. The FAD representatives present at the meeting were Director General Ms. Amenda Padayachy, Director of the Multilateral Affairs Division Ms. Myra Laporte, and Legal Advisor Ms. Sandra Michel.
Following introductory remarks from Ms. Padayachy, a collective overview statement of the agreement was given with a particular emphasis of the agreement’s succession to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement which is set to end on 31st December 2023. The Samoa Agreement was signed on November 15th, 2023, in Apia, Samoa, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde. The agreement addresses six priority areas, namely Democracy and Human Rights; Sustainable Economic Growth and Development; Climate Change; Human and Social Development; Peace and Security; and Migration and Mobility.
This partnership agreement is designed to serve as the legal framework including a common foundation at the ACP level and three regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, with specific focuses on the needs of each region. The implications of not ratifying the agreement were explained by the FAD, noting the potential diminishing of the voice of Seychelles at the table where crucial issues like climate change and human rights are discussed. To provisionally apply the Samoa Partnership Agreement, a resolution is required to be passed by a majority vote of the National Assembly.
The differences between the Cotonou and Samoa agreements were also queried by Committee Members, to which the FAD representatives expressed that the Samoa Partnership Agreement places a much greater emphasis on commitments to human rights, democracy, and good governance. The meeting then came to a close after the fruitful discussion.
