VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles has successfully championed the cause for sustainable and inclusive disaster risk reduction financing for small island developing states at the high-level policy forum on Accelerated Financing for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Oslo from March 17-18, 2025. Represented by the Minister for Internal Affairs, executive director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the chief risk management officer of the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD), Seychelles highlighted the critical need for flexible and context-specific approaches to resource mobilisation for disaster risk reduction (DRR).
In his opening panel address, Minister for Internal Affairs Errol Fonseka underscored Seychelles’ multi-dimensional risk profile, coastal vulnerabilities, and economic reliance on tourism. He showcased examples of disaster risk reduction (DRR) integration, including coastal restoration and resilience measures at critical infrastructure points. The minister also introduced a broader ‘basket of risks’ approach, encompassing natural hazards, cyber threats, drug and human trafficking, and called for greater international support to build domestic capacity, enabling Seychelles to prioritise DRR within national budgets and reduce reliance on official development assistance (ODA).
For his part, DRMD’s chief risk management officer, Daniel Cetoupe echoed the minister’s message during panel 8 on financing for development. He advocated for flexibility in funding structures, sustainability of support, and harmonisation of frameworks. Mr Cetoupe emphasised the need for financing models that reflect small island developing states (SIDS) diversity and realities, ensuring long-term project viability aligned with national capacity. The high-level policy forum brought together global leaders, technical experts, and financial institutions to deliberate on innovative approaches to financing DRR. Seychelles will now finalise terms of cooperation with UNDRR and the World Bank, accelerate the development of the Resource Mobilisation Strategy for DRR (2021-2030), and prepare concept documentation and financing framework for the NEOC project.
