Mr Jean-Paul Adam

Jean-Paul Adam is the Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (since February 2020). He is a co-lead author on fiscal responses to climate change in the UN’s Emissions gap report (2021) and an advocate for innovative climate finance mechanisms of relevance for SIDS such as debt swaps.

He previously served in several Cabinet positions in the Government of Seychelles including Minister of Health (2016–2019) where he chaired the WHO African SIDS ministerial grouping to prepare for a regional pooled procurement mechanism and where he also championed the WHO Health and Climate change initiative.

He also served as Minister of Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy (2015–2016) where he negotiated a debt for climate change adaptation swap in 2015 which placed 30% of Seychelles oceanic space under protection, and launched the process for Seychelles to become the first issuer of a Blue Bond. He also served as Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs (2010–2015).