Indian Ocean Commission
The Indian Ocean Commission (COI), known as the Commission de l'Océan Indien in French, is an intergovernmental organization that joins Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, France (for Réunion and Mayotte), and the Seychelles together to encourage cooperation. It was started in January 1984 under the General Victoria Agreement. The official language of communication is French.
Objectives
- diplomatic cooperation;
- economic and commercial cooperation;
- cooperation in the field of agriculture, maritime fishing, and the conservation of resources and ecosystems;
- cooperation in cultural, scientific, technical, educational and judicial fields.
Note: the Maldives is an observer of the commission.
The original ideas were to encourage trade and cultural heritages, but most of the ideas taken by the islands were to create good relationships within the area. Because the islands are largely overlooked, the idea was to promote tourism.