It gives me great pleasure to address you on the occasion of the opening of this important Regional Diplomatic Training Course for Mid-Career Diplomats in the Caribbean Community.
The phrase a “born diplomat” is of long standing. In the past, this may have led to training being undervalued. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Your participation in this programme is testimony not only to the importance of placing the Region’s external affairs in skilled, competent, and professional hands, but of ensuring, as well, that there is continuous training to keep it that way, and, in fact, to enhance performance. For this reason in particular, the Commonwealth Secretariat is pleased to be associated with the CARICOM Secretariat in delivering this training programme.
The external environment today is a dynamic and complex one, and the breadth and depth of the “skills set” that is needed to navigate this environment has grown immeasurably. It is true to say that given the small size of the countries in the Region, and the absence of either military or significant economic leverage, diplomatic proficiency is an essential instrument, not just of first choice, but in the circumstances of the Region, of last choice as well. The Region’s interface with the global community must commence with diplomacy, and must of necessity fall back on diplomacy!
This means that the Caribbean Community has no alternative but to produce a generation of diplomats who (a) understand and grasp the complexity of the external environment; (b) understand the political and economic imperative, as well as the history, and culture of the Region, and (c) understand fully the Region’s needs and aspirations. This must be a generation of diplomats who can engage effectively and persuasively interlocutors from both the developed and developing world alike and across the widest possible spectrum of contemporary issues.
The Caribbean has been fortunate to have had, over the years, diplomats of exceptional quality – men and women who it would be invidious to name, but who have pursued distinguished careers, and who have served the Region well at home and abroad. Guyana, our host for this event, has provided the Region with a fair share of such distinguished individuals.
The challenge is to build on the foundation that has been laid. We must now create through modern recruitment practices and continuous training a cadre of talented practioners who, more numerous than has been the case in the past, and certainly better equipped through specialised training, can ably play the role required of them on the front line in the exercise of ‘soft power’, and be instruments for the social, economic and political advancement of the Caribbean Community.
The programme of work you will undertake over the next several days will contribute to preparing you for the enormous challenges ahead.
Let me conclude by reiterating that the Commonwealth Secretariat is very pleased to be part of this endeavour, and wishes you every success.
