The tenth Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Mr Edgar Razafindravahy, was officially appointed, this morning, during an investiture ceremony held at the Hilton Resort and Spa in Flic-en-Flac. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Mr Andry Rajoelina; the Attorney General, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Maneesh Gobin; Ministers from IOC Member Countries; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; and other eminent personalities were present on this occasion. In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that Mauritius is appreciative of the previous IOC Secretary General for his contribution during his tenure. He pointed out that the tenth IOC Secretary General, like his predecessor, also possesses the required attributes to effectively lead the Commission and promote regional collaboration. The IOC, he recalled, has two specific missions: it contributes to buildi ng an integrated regional space focused on sustainable development; and serves as a privileged vector for the collective actions of its Member States. Mauritius, underscored Prime Minister Jugnauth, supports to the ambition of the IOC, as announced on 15 July 2024, to advance the structuring projects for the region with the relaunch of the regional food and nutrition security programme aimed at creating regional agricultural production sectors. He also welcomed the willingness of the new Secretary General to make maritime security one of his priorities to strengthen trade and regional integration. Beyond maritime connectivity, the IOC is called upon to strengthen its commitment in the field of maritime security, he added. On another note, the Prime Minister remarked that the accreditation of the IOC to the Green Climate Fund represents a remarkable opportunity for its Member States as it offers direct access to funding to help our countries acquire essential resources for the implementation of ambitious pro jects aimed at strengthening our resilience to the impacts of climate change. He also spoke about IOC's contribution in helping Member States to further improve their respective health systems in order to strengthen regional health resilience. As for President Rajoelina, he underlined that the event marks an important moment for IOC Member States which form a strong and strategic alliance. He observed the need to strengthen regional cooperation to enable each country's economy to thrive. Moreover, he expressed confidence that the new Secretary General of the IOC will do its best for the Commission to provide support to all its members. He also appealed to the IOC to further strengthen maritime security in the region, and spoke about his country's vision and objectives for the future. For his part, the newly appointed IOC Secretary General stated that his nomination is a new regional journey for him and that he will do his best to effectively carry out his mission. Mr Razafindravahy also outlined some key s ectors on which the IOC will focus during the next four years. He emphasised that food security will be one of his priorities, in addition to the maritime security and connectivity in the region. There is also the need for IOC Member States to continue to work in collaboration so as to bring more sustainable and inclusive development in the region, he added. Government Information Service, Prime Minister's Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: [email protected] Website: https://gis.govmu.org Mobile App: Search Gov Source: Government of Mauritius
- June 11, 2026