Olivier Guyonvarch

Ambassador of France to Jamaica

Born on the 18th of August 1965, Mr. Olivier Guyonvarch is a Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor. He was bestowed the honour of Knight of the Order of Merit (Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite), and is the recipient of the Foreign Affairs medal (gold level), as well as the medal of National Defense Volunteer Services and is a reservist citizen of the French Navy (CF).

He is a career diplomat and specialist in China and the Law of the Sea. Prior to joining the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he pursued a technical degree in agriculture (1986). With a passion for Chinese language and culture, he completed a Master's degree in 1990 and from 1988, paid frequent visits to China and was posted 3 times. 
He joined the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs by way of the professional examination (concours) for
Secretary of Chancery (1996-1998), and then was promoted through examination to Secretary (2001) and
Counsellor (2004).
He started his carrier at the Quai d'Orsay within the Department of Financial and Budgetary Affairs (1996-
1998), and was subsequently appointed Vice-Consul of the Consulate General of France in Wuhan, China.
(1998-2001). Following his posting in Wuhan, he returned to Paris to work within the Department for Asia and
Oceania, as Desk Officer (2001-2005), firstly at the sub-directorate for Southern Asia, then the sub-directorate
for the Far Eastern Orient (in charge of Chinese interior policy).
He was then posted to the Embassy of France in Beijing from 2005 to 2008 as the Head of the Press and
Communications Section, then at the Embassy of France in Singapore as First Counsellor and Deputy Head of
Mission (2008-2012).
On his return to Paris he chose the position of Assistant Director of the Law of the Sea, of River law and Poles,
within the Legal Affairs Department (2012-2016). It is during that period that he visited Kingston four times to
head the French delegation at the International Seabed Authority.
He returned to Beijing in 2016-2017 as Advisor to the Ambassador on questions of international law and
security. He was then appointed Consul General of France in Wuhan (2017-2021), a period marked by the
outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the evacuation by air, organized by France, of 520 French citizens,
Europeans and citizens of other nations.