The young and charismatic Dr. Rolph Payet

Article from: Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly February 2, 2007

The World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, has chosen the Principal Secretary for Environment as a Young Global Leader. This adds to Dr. Payet’s many accolades. Lest we forget, the young and charismatic Dr. Rolph Payet is the youngest member of the Central Committee of the SPPF ruling party. He has done Seychelles proud and Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly takes this opportunity to extend its congratulations to Dr. Payet. Dr. Payet certainly has the ability and qualification to lead the Ministry one day and is responsible for single-handedly putting Seychelles on the world map where environment issues are concerned. Well done Rolph!.

Conférence de Paris pour une gouvernance écologique mondiale

Source: Seychelles Nation- 01.02.2007

Dr Rolph Payet représente les Seychelles
Dr Rolph Payet, secrétaire principal du Département de l'Environnement au Ministère de l'Environnement et des Ressources naturelles est en route pour Paris pour participer, du 2 au 3 février, à la Conférence pour une gouvernance écologique mondiale baptisée "Citoyens de la terre".

Dr Payet doit sa participation au Président Jacques Chirac, qui a invité à cette conférence près de 150 hautes personnalités internationales qui ont montré leur détermination à agir pour protéger l'environnement.

Les participants qui sont des experts, des scientifiques, des chefs d'entreprises et d'associations de défense de l'environnement viennent d'une soixantaine de pays.

Mardi, une petite cérémonie s'est déroulée dans les locaux de l'ambassade de France, à La Ciotat, où l'ambassadeur son excellence Monsieur Michel Trétout a présenté au haut-cadre seychellois sa lettre d’invitation, son programme de séjour et un billet allez – retour Mahé Paris.

Monsieur Trétout s'est dit "heureux et fier que les Seychelles soient représentés à ce grand événement", et Dr Payet a remercié la France et son président pour l'honneur qui lui est fait de représenter les Seychelles à un si grand forum".

A noter que la Conférence pour une gouvernance écologique mondiale se tient dans la foulée de la réunion intergouvernementale du groupe d’experts sur l’évolution du climat (GIEC) qui se déroule depuis le début de la semaine à Paris.

Un communiqué de l’ambassade de France indique que l’invitation du Docteur Payet à Paris s’inscrit dans l’excellent climat de collaboration qui prévaut entre la France et les Seychelles tout particulièrement dans le domaine de l’environnement.

"La France met un point d’honneur à développer dans notre pays toujours plus de projet dans ce secteur phare et les Seychelles, fortes de leur expérience, offrent une vision toujours plus innovante dans la manière de gérer l’environnement", ajoute le communiqué.

Seychellois chosen as Young Global Leader

Source: Seychelles Nation - 29.01.2007
Environment principal secretary Rolph Payet has been chosen as a Young Global Leader 2007 by the World Economic Forum.

The Forum is a Geneva-based independent international organization of world leaders from the public, private and non-governmental sectors committed to improving the state of the world.  It meets in Davos, Switzerland, every year to address global issues, engaging particularly its corporate members in global citizenship.

Every year the Forum recognizes and acknowledges the top 250 young leaders – all aged 40 or younger -- from around the world.

Professor Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, told Dr Payet in a letter he had been chosen “in recognition of your record of accomplishments, your commitment to society and your potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world”.

Commenting on his nomination, Dr Payet said: “The announcement has made me realize that as an islander, I can make a difference globally.

“Islands face a spectrum of threats today and tomorrow, and while our present and future generations will continue to strive to preserve the paradise we live in, the hope for the future of islanders appears bleak with the looming threats of climate change and biodiversity loss”.

Dr Payet said he would use his appointment to bring island issues to the attention of world economic leaders. He said that the Global Island Partnership initiated by President James Michel and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the Mauritius International Meeting on Small Island States in January 2005 would serve as his strategic platform to bring the plight of the islands of the world.

Drawn from a pool of over 4000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders nominated in 2007 have been chosen by a committee of 34 eminent international media leaders.  The list includes 125 business leaders, as well as leaders from governments, academia, media and society at large from nearly 70 countries.

They join the Forum of Young Global Leaders which currently comprises 416 members from 90 countries.

Established in 2004 by Prof. Schwab, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is, according to a press release from the World Economic Forum, “a unique, multistakeholder community of the world’s most extraordinary young leaders who dedicate a part of their time to jointly address global challenges and who are committed to devote part of their knowledge and energy to collectively work towards a better future”.

Prof. Schwab added: “Confronting and tackling global challenges will require fresh, strategic thinking from global leaders, as well as innovative and truly international solutions based on global collaboration.  This is why I created The Forum of Young Global Leaders – to be a voice for the future in global thought processes… Together they form a powerful international force for the global common good.