The President wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly today recommending that the National Assembly, in accordance with Article 64(4) of the Constitution, ratify the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

The signing of the convention would be in line with Seychelles' national policies on the protection and promotion of human rights.Furthermore, it would underline Seychelles' commitment to international standards and UN mechanisms on human rights.

Ratifying the convention requires the State to criminalise the enforced disappearance of any person, and to safeguard all persons from being subject to such disappearance. It would also provide for such crimes to be reported, and for the State to undertake to investigate such disappearances and make reparations to the victims and their families.