The Seychelles MSP Governance Framework has a number of components, including an Executive Committee, Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups and stakeholder engagement groups.  The Framework was developed in 2014 and is updated and adapted to ensure an effective decision making structure, stakeholder representation on all committees, and to update representatives for member positions. The most recent update to the decision-making framework was in July 2021.

The Republic of Seychelles is leading the Marine Spatial Plan, with the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change the lead agency. The Nature Conservancy provides process design, facilitation and science support to the government.  The Government of Seychelles-UN Development Programme – global environment facility Programme Coordination Unit, or GOS-UNDP-gef PCU, is an important partner in the process, providing coordination and integration roles.

High level decisions for the MSP Initiative are taken by the MSP Executive Committee. This Committee was formed in October 2016 in response to recommendations from stakeholders to improve integration and communication at the Ministerial and CEO level.  The MSP Steering Committee was formed in August 2014 and provides technical and sectoral advice, provides input and review of draft technical outputs, and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee for finalising MSP outputs. The MSP Technical Working Group was formed in July 2014 to develop planning tools for the MSP process, and is comprised of three sectoral groups: socio-economic, marine ecological and terrestrial ecological.  Each group has a Chair and Vice-Chair, and the Socio-Economic TWG has three co-chairs to represent fisheries, tourism and petroleum.   The TWG Chair and Vice-Chairs sit on the MSP Steering Committee.

All of the MSP Committees and Working Groups have representation from government, scientists, environmental non-governmental organisations, and private sector representatives for the five thematic areas of the MSP:  FISHING, BIODIVERSITY, INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC UTILITIES, NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES, AND TOURISM & RECREATION.

Please click here for a list of the sectors and stakeholder groups that are developing the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan.