–Greenidge urges Guyana’s foreign representatives

By Ariana Gordon

GUYANA’S foreign representatives must be able to adapt to a rapid and ever changing global environment as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs works to ensure the standard of its representatives are superior to other territories.Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge disclosed on Monday during an orientation seminar for the Heads of Missions and new recruits, that the country’s foreign service will see former diplomats serving as advisers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and more so the Foreign Service Institute.

“This enables us to capitalise on the experiences that have been accumulated in the past in terms of policy formulation and the like and, therefore, that institutional mechanism I hope is going to help to see us through the re-establishment of what clearly was widely acknowledged as one of the most effective, if not outstanding, foreign services in the Western Hemisphere,” said Minister Greenidge.

Former Ambassador Ronald Austin is the Director designate for the Foreign Service Institute, said the minister, who noted that while the experiences of the former diplomats will assist Guyana significantly, new recruits need to be analytical.

“There is from one week to the next, one month to the next, not merely new issues emerging but those issues change quite radically from one day to the next, BREXIT being a good example of what was an established institutional mechanism… affecting 28 countries.”

Other advisors include former Foreign Affairs Minister, Rashleigh Jackson and Ambassadors, Timothy Critchlow, Rudy Collins and Cedric Joseph.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said it is imperative that the foreign service of Guyana becomes a foreign service that “recognises that it will have to be adaptable, it will have to develop skills, many of which lie outside of the traditional diplomatic arena”.

Greenidge made it clear that he is not interested in recruiting officers whose only interest and perhaps only training is in international relations.

“Today, you have to understand and come to grips with a range of issues and each officer should try to have at least one area of competence outside of general diplomacy so that when you come to the table, you bring some specific skills.”

Being a good Foreign Service representative, the minister stressed, requires constant learning and the constant review of information.

“What I am seeing is a diplomatic service that seeks at all times to develop its skills – yes, some of the traditional areas in terms of training are important, but today, unlike 20 or 15 years ago,language is also of extreme importance,” he added while charging foreign service officers to be bilingual.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ought to improve their efficiency so as to be able to provide readily to the various overseas missions.

He said something has to be done about the existing deficiencies and noted that staff of the missions and those in Georgetown must work collaboratively.

“It is team work,” the minister stressed.

He disclosed that proposals are being examined for the restructuring of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that work can be handled more efficiently.

Additionally, the minister announced that Government is currently examining ways of making emoluments appropriate for those employed by his Ministry. He said too he is looking to “enhance the rate of recruitment of skills” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

These matters, Minister Greenidge said have been discussed with the Minister of Finance and are before Cabinet.

Meanwhile, former Ambassador Ronald Austin, who served as facilitator of the orientation session said that the one week seminar is focused on equipping the Heads of Missions and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the requisite information to effectively carry out the country’s Foreign Service policy.

The sessions will focus on the role of the mission in promoting investment and trade, border issues, Caricom and regional integration, terrorism, the importance of technology and Guyana’s tourism potential and anti-money laundering procedures, consular matters and the environment, among others.

Present at the opening session of the seminar were Guyana’s Ambassador to Belgium, David Hales; High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr Kenrick Hunte; High Commissioner to India, David Pollard; Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally; and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Michael Tenpow.

Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean, Cammie Ramsaroop was unable to attend Monday’s seminar as he is out of the jurisdiction.