Seychelles’ new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ronny Jumeau, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN Headquarters in New York last week.

Amb Jumeau told Mr Guterres he was presenting his credentials at a very important time for small island developing states (SIDS) like Seychelles, and indeed for all developing nations, when implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), and in particular SDG 14 on the sustainable use of oceans and seas were topping the UN agenda.

In a private meeting that followed, Mr Guterres said he had never forgotten a private visit to Seychelles 19 years ago as it had left him with a lasting impression of a harmonious society well on its way to good governance and already a leader in people-centred development and conservation of the environment.

He welcomed the US$21-million debt-for-adaptation swap to raise funds to turn 30 percent of Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone into protected areas, partly as ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change, as an example to the world of a small island country leading in identifying innovative financing for sustainable development.

He listened intently and with approval as Amb Jumeau explained that the debt swap had expanded into ongoing work to draft a marine spatial plan for Seychelles’ entire ocean space and to raise a further $20 million in blue bonds for sustainable fisheries.

All these initiatives were part of the pioneering work Seychelles is doing as a large ocean developing state to define and develop its blue economy, Mr Jumeau said.

Present at the credentials ceremony and the bilateral meeting were Deputy Permanent Representative Beryl Samson and Attaché in the Permanent Mission, Deborah Cholmondeley.