The Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs has presented a bill authorizing the approval of the agreement revising the general cooperation agreement between the Member States of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).
Signed in Seychelles on March 6, 2020, this agreement aims to redefine the missions of the IOC by expanding them, and giving it an adapted and modernized framework to respond more effectively to the needs of Member States.
More specifically, this agreement provides the means for Member States to adapt and strengthen regional cooperation in the face of new challenges for which each State can hardly act alone. These issues include environmental and maritime security, digital connectivity, mobility and health. For example, during the health crisis, the IOC’s Covid-19 response plan facilitated the delivery of medical equipment to Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar, thanks to the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
Through this agreement, the IOC is modernizing itself to achieve its ambitions as a regional cooperation institution, expanding its competencies, and adopting an institutional architecture that strengthens the political steering of the organization.
