During the first Foreign Service Seminar, President Ernest Bai Koroma noted that transformation has significantly changed the old one-track style of diplomacy pointing out that they no longer fit in modern-day diplomacy and foreign relations of states. According to the President, Sierra Leone’s foreign Ministry and Overseas missions must step up their responds to the country’s multiple challenges by adopting adaptable global policy that seek to address the realities of the changing global environment. He therefore declared, “The days of wining and dining diplomacy are over.”
At the programme organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation over the weekend at the Miatta Conference Hall, the President said that on taking over governance in 2007, he identified areas that are affecting public service and this included gap in capacity, corruption, neglect and commitment to duty and the lack of effective policy implementation. He said as a result of these fundamental shortfalls, his government in partnership with development partners undertook a management and functional review of some of the key line ministries in particular, the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
He added that the reviews identified operational strengths and weaknesses and recommended some policy guidelines and appropriate actions. He recalled his declaration of commitment to transform the way and manner the country’s foreign policy is being implemented during his October 2012 State Opening of Parliament. He maintained that the country’s foreign policy objectives should be implemented through the establishment of a closed foreign service to which very qualified and competent people will be directly recruited.
“Am reaffirming my commitment to that policy to translate this initiative into a concrete outcome and plan implementation,” the President said and maintained that such plan implementation should be able to adequately cushion the rapid nature of information communication which brings with it new and complex international pressures.
President Koroma declared, “Our Foreign Ministry and its Oversee Diplomatic outfits must step up their responds to the multiple emerging challenges of our time and to adapt to the constantly changing global policy environment.”
The President maintained that with Sierra Leone’s huge human resource endowment, it can transform from the least developed country it currently is, to become a middle income country. He however noted that such a transformation demands a new thinking geared towards modernizing the country’s economy and attracting quality investment. He emphasized the need for what he referred to as the three ‘Es’ and the two ‘Is’ namely; Education, Energy, Employment, Infrastructure and Investment as priority areas for the realization of such a transformation.
President Koroma therefore noted, “The transformation is already happening and we shall see it through; we shall see the expansion of road networks, electricity, health and educational programmes throughout the country. We must continue the march forward and tell the world that our country is a prime destination for business, progress and development. We will not relent. We must not relent, and we shall not relent.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Joseph B. Dauda, said that the historic moment is aimed at designing a framework of action to respond to the challenge thrown at the Foreign Ministry. He noted that the President’s call for a redesign of the country’s diplomatic approach in 2010 has not gone unheeded.
“We have since been at work with our partners to translate this initiative into concrete outcomes and we are at the advanced stage of stepping up this transformation process of the Ministry and the conduct of our foreign policy,” Minister Dauda assured.
The Foreign Minister highlighted some of the policy changes it has adopted one of which he mentioned is the adoption of the Ministry as one of seven pilot MDAs for the implementation of the cascaded Policy Planning and Research Unit (PPRU) for the establishment and strengthening of an effective functioning Policy among other things.
JB Dauda announced that “the Ministry has already accomplished the preparation of drafts of the various documents and frameworks, some of which are now awaiting comments and endorsement of crucial stakeholders. He said the ongoing transformation also includes planned automation of key operations within the Ministry to advance public diplomacy and sustained interface with the global community. The first phase of this automation plan he further noted, is the redesigning of an effective, public website with the domain address: www.foreignaffairs.gov.sl.
The Minister appealed to all stakeholders for their continued support and cooperation in facilitating the realization of both the intermediate and longer term objectives of this transformation process.
By Betty Milton
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