It is with great pleasure that I address you today on the occasion of the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence in Seychelles. To those who have travelled to join us—our friends and international partners—I extend a warm welcome to the beautiful shores of Seychelles.

The launch of this Centre represents a significant milestone in strengthening law enforcement capabilities across the Western Indian Ocean. It will equip our professionals with the essential skills needed to respond effectively to maritime threats, up to a successful legal finish. In doing so, it will enable us to collect the maximum possible intelligence and forensic evidence, allowing for a better understanding of trends, likely intentions, and the nature of various threats within the region.

This Centre demonstrates our firm commitment to implementing the Regional Drugs Strategy presented at the Ministerial Conference on Drugs on 25th April 2024, in Mauritius.

This very comprehensive document makes no qualms, about the immense effort required within the region, to tackle the drug trade. For this reason, it admits that “no country can do so on its own.” The strategy addresses narcotics trafficking from both supply and demand perspectives and allows countries to adjust their responses based on respective national capacity. However, I urge all countries to kick-start their efforts and begin sharing information with our National Centres as the Regional Drug Observatory comes into operation.

At this point, I would like to acknowledge our guests from UNODC, who have worked tirelessly to produce this document. If put into practice, through concerted efforts of all our regional partners, we will slowly gain traction against bad actors within our region. We also recognize the substantial cooperation which exists with UNODC and the support which has been provided to national agencies beyond capacity building such as in the prosecution support in the case of the suspected pirates, through the provision of translators.

I welcome the leadership of our beneficiary entities here today—all law enforcement agencies, including representatives from the Seychelles Police Force, the Seychelles Defence Forces, and border control agencies.

The systematic approach implemented through this Centre—providing training from basic levels while progressively identifying and developing a pool of regional trainers—will enhance the capacity of regional institutions to conduct in-house training at the national level.

This Centre also provides a vital platform for sharing best practices and building networks among practitioners throughout the region. This collaboration will have a lasting impact on operational coordination and information sharing.

However, we must also emphasize the critical importance of building integrity frameworks that ensure all law enforcement professionals maintain the highest standards of integrity in their daily operations, thereby preserving public support and trust. All the efforts here today will go to waste if we fail to uphold these standards. It takes only one bad apple.

In law enforcement operations, that one bad apple can place your team at risk of injury or death. Therefore, I will be asking the instructors to consider implementing a code of ethics for everyone who benefits from the training offered.

Over the past years, Seychelles has steadfastly supported the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in their capacity-building endeavours throughout the region, serving as a regional training hub. Today’s event strengthens this commitment and partnership.

Looking toward the future, I am hopeful that by providing a common training platform for all regional states, we will reinforce interoperability between law enforcement organizations in operational contexts. It is equally important that today’s launch of the Centre of Excellence be viewed as just the beginning. We encourage more partners to contribute to the development of this Centre, ensuring that comprehensive capacity building and best practices remain available throughout our region.

Seychelles will continue to stand as a reliable partner to the UNODC in its mission to improve regional capacities for effectively enforcing the rule of law, thereby creating a safe and secure region for all.

Let us move forward with determination, and a shared vision for a safer, more resilient region. May this Centre of Excellence be a beacon of collaboration, innovation, and integrity in our collective fight against transnational crime.

With great pride and optimism, I now declare the Seychelles Centre for Excellence officially open.

Thank you once again to all our partners, and especially to the UNODC and the U.S. Embassy, for your unwavering support.

Thank you.

It is my pleasure to join you today for the official launching of the National Tsunami Ready Board for Seychelles  a significant step forward in strengthening our country’s disaster preparedness and resilience, particularly against one of the most sudden and potentially devastating threats: tsunamis.

Let me begin by thanking Mr. Ardito Kodijat for joining us virtually and for delivering a detailed overview of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. Your continued support to Seychelles and other Small Island Developing States in the Indian Ocean is both valued and appreciated.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami remains etched in our collective memory. While Seychelles did not suffer the catastrophic fatalities seen elsewhere, we nonetheless experienced the far-reaching impact of the event. Homes, infrastructure and livelihoods were affected, and the event served as a wake-up call for all of us - highlighting that even with geographical distance from the epicentre, no island nation is immune to the destructive power of ocean-based hazards.

Since then, the Government of Seychelles has made steady progress in improving our early warning capabilities and emergency preparedness. But we are well aware that technology alone cannot save lives. As highlighted in the Tsunami Ready guidelines: a community’s ability to respond effectively depends not just on alerts - but on its awareness, planning, and readiness to act within minutes.

This is precisely where the Tsunami Ready Programme finds its value:It is not simply about recognition - but about creating a systematic and community-based culture of preparedness.It supports our alignment with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development - all of which underscore the importance of resilience and inclusiveness.

 The National Tsunami Ready Board being established today is a cornerstone of our engagement in this international programme. It is mandated to provide strategic oversight, guide implementation, coordinate resources, and facilitate community-level tsunami readiness through the 12 established indicators outlined by UNESCO-IOC.

The Board will serve as a national mechanism to ensure that our efforts are not only coordinated but are locally grounded, sustainable, and inclusive.

To the appointed members I extend my congratulations and sincere appreciation for your willingness to take on this responsibility. Your respective institutions be it in meteorology, disaster management, policing, coastal development, or emergency response play a vital role in ensuring that Seychelles is prepared for any eventuality. You are now entrusted with translating policy into practice, guidance into action, and data into meaningful preparedness.

Let us remember that being tsunami ready is not just about achieving indicators. It is about embedding a culture of readiness in our schools, our communities, and our institutions. And beyond tsunamis, these measures will inherently strengthen our readiness for a range of other hazards - be it cyclones, storm surges, or other coastal threats.

On this note, I am pleased to formally declare: The National Tsunami Ready Board for Seychelles is hereby officially established. With this declaration, we are sending a clear message to our citizens, our region, and our international partners that Seychelles is committed to strengthening disaster risk governance and ensuring no one is left behind in times of crisis.

Let us move forward with unity, determination, and shared responsibility. Thank you, and I wish the Board every success in fulfilling its important mandate.

Good morning.

It is an honour to be with you today for the official signing of the Tailored Intelligence for Actionable Early Warning Systems (TIAEWS) Project for Seychelles—an important milestone in our country’s journey to strengthen disaster risk reduction and build national resilience.

I am pleased to note that earlier this week, the Cabinet of Ministers officially endorsed this project, signalling the highest level of political support and national commitment to its success.

This project comes at a crucial time. As a small island state facing increasing threats from floods, landslides, coastal erosion, and other climate-induced hazards, the need to enhance our preparedness and response systems has never been more urgent. The TIAEWS project will help us address critical gaps in our early warning systems by improving data and information management, strengthening coordination among institutions, and reaching our communities—especially those most vulnerable—with timely and actionable alerts.

 It is through initiatives like this that we move closer to our vision of a safer, more resilient Seychelles.

On behalf of the Government of Seychelles, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Disaster Risk Management Division, I wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for their generous support, and to the United Nations Development Programme for their steadfast partnership in making this project a reality.

Together, we are laying the foundation for a more secure and climate-resilient future for all Seychellois.

Thank you.