Heads up – Embassy 26 – June 2010

Man on a new mission

Sporting a big Afro back in his student teacher days in the 1970s, Patrick Pillay was called ‘The Mop’ by his pupils. A more fitting description nowadays of the Seychelles’ High Commissioner to London would be ‘the new broom’.

“I do like to shake things up,” smiles the High Commissioner, whose President has charged him with the task of reopening the Seychelles High Commission in London after a long absence.

A career educationist, the High Commissioner rose quickly through the ranks of the education ministry to principal secretary before entering politics and being appointed education minister in 1993. From there he took his reforming zeal to the ministries of youth and culture, industry and international trade, health and finally the foreign ministry.

Appointed foreign minister in 2004, at the same time that President James Michel took over as president, Pillay helped usher in a new outward-looking era in Seychellois foreign policy. “When I took over, we were fairly closed, struggling within ourselves. So my task was to increase our visibility, to raise the flag for Seychelles overseas.”

In his five years as foreign minister, Pillay opened up a string of embassies in strategic hubs. “I realised we needed to have a presence in the capitals where it mattered. In Africa it was Pretoria; in Asia it was Delhi and Beijing; for Europe it had to be Brussels to influence EU policy; and now London, which is an international hub.”

Describing Seychellois foreign policy as “proactive and pushy”, the High Commissioner says: “As a small island state you have to be innovative and nimble.”

He has a three-pronged approach to his posting in London. Firstly, to strengthen bilateral ties with Britain on issues of common concern, whether it is climate change, piracy or trade – with the added benefit that the UK is a respected voice in a number of international bodies.

Secondly, the High Commissioner wants to get value added from the international organisations represented in London, particularly the Commonwealth, which can offer real assistance and is a champion for small states.

Working with the IMO will also be a priority for the new High Commission, particularly in tackling piracy in the Seychelles’ territorial waters which has wreaked havoc on the cruise ship trade as well as the industrial fishing industry, two vital sources of revenue for the country.

“This problem hit us out of the blue and we have had to think on our feet,” explains the High Commissioner. “We’ve negotiated to allow private security companies to protect the fishing vessels and merchant ships which has made a difference. But we are also having to meet the costs of having 30 pirates on our soil, which is also a burden on the judiciary and we need assistance for that.”

The country lobbied hard in Brussels to have European naval vessels patrol the Seychelles’ territorial waters. The US is also providing unmanned drones to survey the area to alert naval vessels of any suspicious behaviour.

“All this has helped, but will not solve the problem until there is a long-term solution in Somalia. As long as these pirates are poor and have nothing to lose they will continue,” says Pillay, adding that Somalia is increasingly becoming a terrorist threat.

“We have to be careful, especially with our tourism industry. One terrorist attack can have a really damaging effect.”

The third prong of the High Commissioner’s approach is to interact with the 200-odd diplomatic missions represented in London. “Obviously I cannot concentrate on all the missions equally, so I will focus on those who will support us on key issues, whether it is at UN Security Council, or the SADC group, IOC and COMESA. Everybody is represented here and that networking aspect is very important.”

One of the issues that the High Commissioner will focus on is climate change. “We have been at the forefront of the battle and are very vocal because of our island status,” says Pillay. Climate change is already affecting coral growth and fish populations while over the long term, rising sea levels are a very real concern.

Expanding economic relations with Britain and beyond is another priority for the High Commissioner. With the introduction of major economic reforms in the Seychelles – including privatisation of government assets and the floating of the rupee – there are plenty of opportunities, says Pillay.

“There are all kinds of prospects. In addition to our mainstays of fishing and tourism, there is healthcare, banking, real estate and offshore industries – such as finance and business process outsourcing. We even have oil tankers for hire!”

Achieving all this with a small, brand-new mission is a tall order, which is why the High Commissioner is planning to tap the resources of the Seychellois diaspora and student community.

Whereas in the past, the exiled Seychellois community had an unhappy relationship with the government back home, Pillay believes that with the reintroduction of multiparty democracy, the time is ripe to re-engage with the community in the UK. “Call it a High Commission of national unity, if you will,” he smiles.

Lively Seychellois celebrations with traditional Camtole dancing at the upcoming Independence Day may be just the ticket to put the new High Commission on the London diplomatic map.