Stakeholders from all sectors who met at the International Conference Centre on October 10, 2002 to review the August 26 to September 4, 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) proposals analysed how globalisation affected Seychelles.

According to a report that will hopefully be presented to Cabinet this year, the group began by looking at globalisation of international trade and the institutions that could have an impact on such international trade and how such impact could be mitigated.

According to Mr Alain De Comarmond, who has compiled the report, the team also looked at trade from a local perspective, exploring how made-in-Seychelles products could be traded off and be competitive.

"From there, we drew conclusions as to what we felt needed to be done so as to ensure that Seychelles could fully play its role in the globalisation process and maximise the benefits of free trade whilst minimising the negative aspects of the process," he said.

The delegates examined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Seychelles' status as an observer, and noted that WTO would have a direct impact on trade for this country.

"We recognised that fish, especially tuna, was the main product in which we had a competitive edge. We noted that Seychelles currently had observer status on the WTO and the five-year period was drawing to an end after which Seychelles would be expected to enter negotiations with the WTO with a view to becoming a fully-fledged member." However, he said, it was noted that many of the impediments to joining that had existed previously were still present.

"The group was of the view that the globalisation process had already become part of our lives whether we were prepared to admit it or not. In particular, it was noted that the fisheries industry had initially been developed by foreign companies and that Seychelles had not been able to obtain significant value-added benefits for its tuna until the creation of the Indian Ocean Tuna (IOT) in 1995.

"For this reason, the group felt that it was essential for the country and the government to work towards globalisation rather than wait for it to get to us," Mr De Comarmond said.

The group noted that until now, the general perception in Seychelles was that globalisation was something remote affecting the outside world and would not affect Seychelles unless it was allowed to. Yet, Seychelles' progress in the IT industry in particular has already made the country part of the globalised economy in that trading can be and does already take place through the internet, across national borders and beyond the control of any local authorities.

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