Seychellois among contenders for top AU post |31 January 2012
The election is due to take place during the 18th Ordinary Summit of the African Union being held in Addis Abba, Ethiopia.
Ambassador Lloyd, who is currently attending the AU Summit with the Seychelles delegation, was nominated for the post by the Seychelles government last year and is currently one of five remaining candidates following earlier elimination rounds.
“Ambassador Lloyd’s strong progress as a serious candidate for this eminent post is a testament to the calibre of professionals that Seychelles can offer the African Union and indeed the wider international community,” said the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Paul Adam.
“Her hard work and wealth of experience, particularly in the fields of social development, has made her one of the strongest candidates for this post and her successful navigation of the complicated and highly competitive process is in itself, a huge victory for Africa’s smallest nation whether or not her nomination is successful.”
The Roving Ambassador for Women’s and Children’s Issues and former Minister for Health, Ambassador Lloyd began her extensive record as a civil servant in 1976. Since then, she has dedicated her career to promoting and advocating human and social development as a critical driver for sustainable development.
“I am honoured to have been nominated by the Seychelles government. Whatever the outcome of the elections, Seychelles would have positioned itself as an active member of the AU,” said Ambassador Lloyd.
The Seychelles delegation to the AU Summit is being lead the principal secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne and includes High Commissioner Joseph Nourrice, and the director for International Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Michelle Murray.