Monday, September 07, 2015: The Third Pacific Islands Development Forum Summit of Leaders (PIDF 3) that ended in Suva last Friday 4th September 2015 approved the appointment of the first permanent and substantive Secretary General of the PIDF. He is Mr Francois Martel of Samoa.
Mr Martel has been living in Samoa for over 20 years now but has also spent time in Fiji and many other Pacific countries. He is currently working as a Climate Change and COP21 Adviser for the Tokelau government. He is fluent in English and French.Announcing the appointment at the close of the Summit last Friday the Prime Minister of Fiji the Honorable Josaia V Bainimarama said:
“The person we have chosen to take our organization forward is Mr Francois Martel of Samoa. Mr Martel – who has been selected after an intensive process – has more than 35years’ experience in natural resource management, bio-diversity conservation and climate change in the tropics. He also has extensive contacts in government, civil society and the private sector. So we welcome him to the PIDF and are confident that the Secretariat will be in good hands.”