President James Michel met with the Commissioner in charge of the promotion and protection of Human Rights, Honourable Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen, this morning at State House.

Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen, who is leading a delegation from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, is on a promotional mission in Seychelles.

The President congratulated Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen, who is the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mauritius, for taking up such an important post in the region and he welcomed the visit of the Commissioner and his team.

President Michel expressed support on exchanging views and collaboration between the Commission and the Government of Seychelles.

“I hope that your visit will provide opportunities for you and your team to see the status of human rights in the Seychelles. Since the economic reforms, we have been promoting transparency, human rights, good governance, freedom speech; the conditions that are necessary in a democratic society. Nevertheless, we need to reinforce structures already in place. ..Your visit will not only enable you to see assess the current situation but also to advise us on how we can do better,” said President Michel.

During the meeting, Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen briefed the President on his mission to Seychelles, meetings held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well other meetings scheduled during the delegation’s visit.

Speaking to the national media after his meeting, the Commissioner said that the President is interested and supportive of such an initiative from the Commission.

He explained that the main goal of the Commission is promoting and protecting Human Rights and that visiting the country is also an opportunity for learning and sharing between the Commission and Seychelles. 

He noted that during the meeting they discussed various areas where the Commission can learn a lot from Seychelles, such as areas where positive action is taken and also areas that can be improved.

“Our mission is still at first stage and I would like to meet as many people as possible at all angles, all stakeholders involved with the promotion and protection on Human Rights. By far and large, Seychelles is doing pretty well but of course I keep on repeating in all such mission I go across Africa, Human Rights is a field where no state can score 100 percent, so one should not be ashamed when someone says look, perhaps in that certain area there is a need for improvement in the system. It is with this spirit that we approach our mission, and I’ve said we learn from these visits, and what we learn we pass on to other countries. We also bring something new as well, because from what we’ve learnt elsewhere may be applicable here in Seychelles,” said Commissioner Yeung Sik Yuen.

The Commissioner’s preliminary observations will be communicated during a press conference on the 10th of April 2015.

Present during the State House meeting were also the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Mr. Joel Morgan and the President’s Diplomatic Advisor, Ambassador Callixte D’Offay.

The Commissioner was accompanied by legal officers at the Secretariat of the Commission, Mrs. Bagona Anita and Mr. Bruno Menzan as well as finance officer at the Secretariat of the Commission, Mr. Philbert Bayeka.