Seychelles Nation - 04.10.2008
The group appointed by Seychelles and Mauritius to manage the joint zone on the Mascarene Plateau – created by merging the extended continental shelf claims of both countries – has met for the first time.
The aim of Thursday’s meeting of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius, was to take stock of the work done so far and to plan for the administration of the joint zone.
With the support of the technical committee set up when the agreement was signed on September 18, work on the joint submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf before the end of 2008 is progressing.
The two co-chairmen appointed by their governments are Dr Rolph Payet, special adviser to President James Michel, and S.C. Seebaluk, secretary to the cabinet and head of the Mauritian Civil Service.
Other Seychellois members of the JMC are Raymond Chang-Tave, special adviser in the Ministry of National Development, Eddy Belle, deputy chief executive of the Seychelles Petroleum Company, and Joseph Athanasius, representing deputy attorney-general Ronny Govinden.
The responsibilities of the JMC are to issue licences for resource exploration, exploitation or research; authorise any maritime activity; and determine the apportionment of the investment in any joint activity and of any resources found.
