Seychelles

Seychelles

Seychelles is made up of two main groups of over 100 islands in the western Indian Ocean. Its closest neighbours are Kenya, around 1600 kilometres to the west, and Madagascar, which lies about 1100 kilometres south. The inner group of around 40 islands are rocky and mountainous. The second group of outer islands are low-lying and coralline. Most of Seychelles is covered by forest.  

Secretariat support for Seychelles 

Human rights 

Advisers at the Commonwealth Small States Office (CSSO) in Geneva helped Seychelles prepare to report on human rights in the country under the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. 

Human Rights work

Legal reform 

The Secretariat advised Seychelles on reform of its laws on cybercrime and intellectual property. It also helped Seychelles draft a law to address the problem of male violence against women and girls. 

Legal reform work

Tackling corruption 

The Secretariat produced a publication on anti-corruption which included Seychelles as a case study. It also sent an expert to help investigations at the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles. 

Tackling corruption

Climate change

The Commonwealth Secretariat supports Seychelles to deliver climate action by building its capacity to access international climate finance through the Climate Finance Access Hub and supporting the development of robust climate policies.

Climate change work

Education 

The Secretariat helped Seychelles strengthen school councils and build skills to improve state school management. 

Education work

Gender equality 

The Secretariat hired a consultant to help Seychelles collect data to measure the economic cost of violence against women and girls (VAWG). It developed a tool to measure this cost with Seychelles as the first case study. 

Gender equality work

Trade 

In 2019, the Secretariat gave Seychelles advice on World Trade Organization reform and disputes, trade negotiations and emerging trade issues.   

Trade work

Sustainable development 

In 2018-19, the Secretariat sent an expert to Seychelles to advise on using its ocean resources sustainably. It is also helping Seychelles to share knowledge on sustainable energy with other member states. 

Climate change work

Blue Charter

Seychelles champions the Action Group on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

In 2020, the island nation set aside 30 per cent of its marine territory, or about 410,000 square kilometres, to be legally protected from activities that damage the marine environment.

Seychelles achievement of 30 per cent coverage is far beyond international targets of 10 per cent by the end of 2020.

Seychelles is also a member of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, Ocean Acidification, Sustainable Aquaculture and Sustainable Blue Economy Action Groups.

Blue Charter

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Learn more about the Secretariat's work

Total population

Key Facts

Population
98,462 (2022)
Area
452 square kilometres 
Capital city
Victoria  
Joined the Commonwealth
1976, following independence from Britain