The 2025 regional meeting opened with a high-level session represented by the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa; the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment of Seychelles; UNDP Mauritius & Seychelles; the Indian Ocean Commission, and Business Mauritius.

Mr. Charles Nyandiga, UNDP Regional Technical Leader for Africa and Director of the ISLANDS Indian Ocean Project, underscored the urgency of collective efforts to safeguard human and environmental health in the region. “In today’s global context, marked by increasing geopolitical instability and growing competition for limited development financing, it is more important than ever that we make the most of the resources available to us to enhance the sound management of chemicals and waste within Indian Ocean countries. Therefore, every dollar, every partnership and every action must be strategically aligned to deliver maximum value for the communities and ecosystems we serve.” said Mr. Nyandiga.

The Director General of the Waste Enforcement and Permit Division from the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Ms. Nanette Laure, emphasized the country’s strong national commitment to advancing chemicals and waste management solutions. “It is imperative that we divert hazardous wastes from landfills and implement appropriate recycling and recovery schemes. In this context, we are pleased to officially announce that our Hazardous Chemicals and Waste Bill has been approved by the Cabinet and just two weeks ago, our National Waste Policy also received approval. These are crucial milestones that demonstrate our national commitment and policy alignment with international standards.”

Integrated Responses to Plastic Pollution at the Scale of the Indian Ocean

Mr. Anfani Msoili, representing the IOC, reaffirmed their role as a catalyst for regional cooperation and integration for the achievement of the project goals. "Our objective is to strengthen synergies between regional actions implemented through our projects particularly ExPLOI (Indian Ocean Plastic Expedition), supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM)." explained Mr. Anfani Msoili, Officer-in-Charge of the IOC. "We aim to consolidate scientific knowledge, promote best practices, support local innovations and mobilize all stakeholders to deliver sustainable, integrated responses to plastic pollution at the scale of the Indian Ocean."

Business Mauritius, represented by Ms. Amandine de Rosnay, also underscored the importance of the project to the region and highlighted the relevance of private sector engagement, which will be the role of Business Mauritius.

Key additional highlights of the regional meeting included the review of project achievements and an endorsement of an accelerated implementation plan by the Project Board, discussion of preliminary findings of the Project Mid-Term Review, as well as strategic engagements with the Government of Seychelles and relevant private sector actors on the lessons learnt from the Seychelles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for plastics and other waste materials and the opportunities for replication in other Indian Ocean countries.