Minister Barry Faure Attends First IOC Council of Ministers as New Secretary General Appointed
VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Ambassador Barry Faure, has participated in his first Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission following the appointment of Dr Ibrahim Norbert Richard as the new Secretary General of the regional organisation. Minister Faure attended the first IOC Council of Ministers meeting held on Tuesday, April 7, which was convened to install the new Secretary General.
The extraordinary ministerial session brought together the five IOC member states — Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion representing France, and Seychelles. Minister Faure extended his congratulations to the new Secretary General while underlining the scale of responsibilities ahead in a context marked by the institutional transformation of the IOC and the evolving international landscape.
Dr Ibrahim Norbert Richard, a doctor of law and career diplomat from Madagascar, becomes the 11th Secretary General of the regional organisation since its institutionalisation in 1984 following the signing of the Victoria Agreement. He succeeds Edgard Razafindravahy, bringing extensive experience in national and international institutions, including at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States where he served as under-secretary general for five years.
The new Secretary General’s mission will be to steer the IOC’s action around regional priorities for the remaining period of the current mandate, which extends until July 2028. Seychelles was also represented by the permanent liaison officer to the IOC, Mr Ralph Agrippine, during the ministerial meeting.
