The IOC at Cop 27
A delegation from the Indian Ocean Commission, led by its secretary general Vêlayoudom Marimoutou, participated in Cop 27, in November in Sharm el-Sheikh. She highlighted the specific needs of developing islands which, like Africa, are minimal contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, while Indianoceania is the third region in the world most exposed to natural risks. The IOC delegation held discussions with officials of the Pacific Forum, of the African Union Commission, of the Commonwealth or the Organization of ACP States. She co-organized two side events, one with the Climate Risks and Early Warning Systems Initiative and the Caribbean Resilience Center, the other with the AU Commission and Acmad, the African Center for Applications of Meteorology to Development.
Covid crisis in the Indian Ocean : feedback
A regional workshop organized at the end of October in Mauritius by the Indian Ocean Commission was devoted to feedback on the regional response to Covid-19. It emerged that the existence of the SEGA-One Health network, which brings together more than 300 professionals from Member State administrations and reference institutions, was an undeniable asset in facilitating the management of the crisis. Areas for improvement were also identified, in terms of training, facilitating procedures for acquiring equipment and raising awareness among populations.
Illegal immigration : Reunion and Sri Lanka cooperate
An official Sri Lankan delegation visited Saint-Denis from November 14 to 16 to participate in a seminar on the challenges of security at sea, organized by the prefecture and the French embassy in Sri Lanka. Led by a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was made up of senior officers from the judicial and anti-narcotics police, coast guard, of the Sri Lankan Navy and Ministry of Fisheries. The exchanges brought together the various French services in Reunion in charge of State action at sea., border controls, the fight against trafficking as well as judicial services. The seminar notably made it possible to address the recent arrivals of migrants on the island and to outline the areas for strengthening cooperation with the Sri Lankan authorities in order to better prevent illegal departures of migrants., to ensure their safety at sea and facilitate their return to their country of origin.
