SPEECH OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HONOURABLE NETUMBO NANDI-NDAITWAH OPENING SESSION OF THE INDUCTION WORKSHOP FOR NEW HEADS OF MISSIONS, THE CONSTITUTION ROOM, OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER 09 SEPTEMBER 2013 Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Amb. Tuliameni Kalomoh, Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Former Heads of Mission and returned Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, There are over 2 Million Namibians in this country, and to be appointed to become Ambassador and High Commissioner is a great honor and privilege that you should not take for granted as it comes with great responsibilities. In every profession, it is the practitioners dream to reach the top of the ladder. In diplomacy it is every discerning diplomat and dedicated Foreign Service official to become an Ambassador. From my vantage point, it is safe to say that, it is a standing wish and dream of every Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a dedicated and professional Foreign Service running its diplomatic Missions in a professional and sound manner. You have been selected for several reasons, among them: Ø First, you have distinguished yourselves in your career path as worthy and fit of being Ambassadors and High Commissioners. Ø Secondly, you have demonstrated capacity to be entrusted with the responsibility of advancing and spearheading the national interest of the Republic of Namibia. Let me therefore take this ample opportunity to reiterate my warm congratulations to you all, on your well-deserved appointment and re-appointment as Heads of Mission. Whether you are a first time Ambassador from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Government of the Republic of Namibia, you all have one thing in common: The buck stops with you. You are in charge of decision making at your Mission. The sum total of the output of your Mission will be a reflection of your team leadership and this important workshop is aimed at equipping you with the necessary tools so as to lead your team in the performing and winning direction. You need also to understand both the political and the economy of the receiving state. When a situation arises, understand the personality at the centre of the bureaucratic situation and other influential groups outside the government. Equally important is the role of other countries. Ambassadors and High Commissioners designate, Our foreign policy is enshrined and guided by the aspirations of our people as outlined in the law of the land, the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia. The White Paper on Namibia’s Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Management is an elaboration of the principles of our foreign policy and all of you must be fully conversant with these two documents. As you are aware, the White Paper defines diplomacy as the established method by which states articulate their foreign policy objectives and co-ordinate their efforts to influence the decisions and behavior of foreign governments and people through dialogue, negotiations and other such measures, short of war and violence. Ideally and as stipulated in the White Paper on Namibia’s Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Management, the objective of interstate relations are to promote good civilized discourse and mutual comfort for a better world. But as you all know, the reality of international politics is different. States are by nature adversarial. Competition for scarce natural resources at times compels States to use any means necessary to pursue their national interest. Here one has to understand the concept of power and justice (EPA negotiation a case in point). Simply put it is diplomats who make peace or war between States. The White Paper goes on to state that, “by its very nature, diplomacy operates on the basis of the principle of polite discourse or quiet persuasion”. I have taken time to quote from our White Paper, for these are important tenets of diplomacy which should guide you at all times as you embark on this lofty challenging journey in your career. In his book ‘Diplomacy: The Dialogue Between States’, Adam Watson wrote: “the diplomatic dialogue is thus the instrument of international society: a civilized process based on awareness and respect for other people’s point of view, and a civilizing one also, because the continuous exchange of ideas, and the attempts to find mutually accepted solutions to conflicts of interest, increased that awareness and respect”. You are assuming office at a time when the world is becoming highly unstable. When Africa is commemorating the OAU/AU golden jubilee, when we Africans are realizing that our prosperity rest in our own hands and any assistance from our development partners is only complementary to our own efforts. You are assuming office when we are almost at midpoint of the realization of our Vision 2030, our development blue print. A time when the implementation of NDP4 is in full swing, for sustainable development and prosperity of our people. In a nutshell, all these taken together should serve as a compass of what is required from you. I also implore you to familiarize yourselves with the SWAPO Party Manifesto on whose mandate the Government is governing. As diplomats, you have to vigorously pursue economic diplomacy to assist the efforts of the Government in achieving the stated development goals. In this context, let me emphasize that, economic diplomacy is nothing more than aggressive marketing of Namibia in order to lure business to Namibia. As you do your rounds to the economic Ministries and the private sector before your departure to your various stations, pay attention to both the economic strengths and weaknesses of Namibia, so that you are realistic in setting your targets in your Management Plan. The sectors of agriculture, fisheries and marine, tourism, mining and services should feature prominently in your strategic plans. Furthermore, as a Head of Mission abroad, you will represent both the Nation and State, hence it is a must to understand the history, culture and social economy of the people in the same way you understand the policy of the government. Ambassadors and High Commissioners designate, The task awaiting you is enormous. However, I wish to point out that you are not starting from scratch. You are all replacing predecessors who were effectively heading those missions before you. They have laid the foundation on which you are expected to build. Avoid the temptation of discarding what you will find in place and starting something completely new. Four years in a life of a diplomat is not eternity. Twenty-three years after independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should move with the times. In other words, the human capacity should have improved compared to 1990. You will be expected to provide managerial leadership to your staff in order to build the capacity of the Ministry. Furthermore and equally important, you will be directly in charge of government funds which are earmarked for specific purposes. Exercise prudence in handling public funds for the operations of the Mission. While I am not encouraging you to exhibit poverty, I am strongly urging you not to create an impression that Namibia is a fully industrialized country. Remember the many young people who sit on pavements when you drive to work in the mornings, looking for casual jobs in order to earn an income. Remember the numerous schools in our country which are not yet connected to information technology. Do not forget that there are abundant social needs in our rural areas. An Ambassador is not only in charge of the chancery, he or she is the leader of the Namibian community in the country of accreditation, let me emphasize, all Namibians. He or she must lead and live by example. When there is a no team work it will show in the quality of work from your Mission. When there is team work, the quality of your work will speak for you and your mission will shine. As you take up your positions as Heads of Mission in different parts of the world, you are expected to represent Namibia to the best of your ability and ensure maximum benefits for Namibian people from your representation. I congratulate you all and I have the confidence that you will never let the President who appointed you and the Namibia people down. Once again, congratulation. I wish you all the best of success as you carry the Namibian flag in your countries of accreditation.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:29:23 +0000
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