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Address by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Sue van der
Merwe on the Occasion of the Training Programme for Heads of Mission of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, 12 September 2005 Your Excellency, Ambassador M'poko
Excellencies
Distinguished
guests
Ladies and gentlemen C'est un grand plaisir pour moi d'etre ici
aujourd hui avec vous. Moi aussi en c'est moment ci. Je suis en entrianment a
c'est institute! On behalf of the government and people of South Africa,
I would like to welcome you to South Africa. It is indeed a great honour for us
to host the current training for the Ambassadors and Ambassadors designate. This
course, we believe will be of mutual benefit to our two countries as it presents
us with an opportunity to carry the African Renaissance forward. It is also an
affirmation of the warm relationship that exist between our two governments and
peoples. During 1995 my colleague Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad officially
opened the Department of Foreign Affairs first dedicated diplomatic training centre,
the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). The establishment of the FSI so soon after
South Africa's first democratic elections, deliberately coincided with a new era
in our approach to diplomatic practice. From our painful past in which the country's
Diplomatic style was limited to covert, politically illegitimate, socially exclusive
and mostly bilateral relationships, the liberated South Africa moved into the
diplomatic world of the international community. Our new approach to diplomacy
would henceforth be inclusive, legitimate, increasingly multilateral and would
be informed by clearly defined principles and national values. Our new international
acceptance, however, carried intimidating responsibilities and practical implications
that needed to be reflected in the capabilities of our diplomats. Not least of
these implications was the exponential growth in our diplomatic representation
abroad: within the first three years of our democratic transition, our bilateral
missions abroad tripled in number and we joined dozens of multilateral organisations.
By the same token, the presence of foreign diplomats in Pretoria increased dramatically.
The need for transformed and enhanced training of our diplomats became clear,
and the establishment of the FSI represented our Foreign Ministry's commitment
to address this imperative. The FSI subsequently set about ensuring that
the substance of its training, methodology and structure would comply with world-wide
norms and standards. For this purpose international benchmarking research was
conducted, such as best practice examples from across the globe were examined
to extract the essential elements that would ultimately be applied within the
context of a unique South African set of circumstances, and which would reflect
and contribute to a unique African diplomatic corps. The result of the research
can be summarised in four very important general conclusions about contemporary
diplomatic training practice: - Firstly, that diplomatic training can
no longer be considered an optional extra - the world-wide norm is to see it as
an indispensable professional education, in order to equip national representatives
with competitive skills in an increasingly globalised international environment
where diplomacy has become a virtual growth industry.
- Secondly, that
training is required regardless of the seniority, expertise , experience and academic
qualifications of foreign ministry recruits, as a professional equaliser and in
recognition of the unique skills and knowledge required by the diplomatic profession;
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Thirdly, that training needs to be a continuous process, that is diplomats who
are trained will inevitably need retraining at some or other point in order to
keep abreast of changes in the global arena;
- Fourthly, that diplomatic
training can no longer be restricted to officials who embark on a diplomatic career
- the increasing involvement of other ste agencies in the international arena
dictates that these stakeholders in diplomacy need to be trained as well, as part
of a co-ordinated national pursuit of Foreign Policy objectives. In additions,
the spouses of all government officials who will be posted to missions abroad,
need orientation too, as they will be contributing in countless ways to the success
of our diplomatic endeavours.
The process of aligning the FSI mandate
with international standards has been a significant challenge and our process
of transformation has by no means been completed, mirroring as it does the ongoing
domestic challenges that we face. In addition, the FSI in support of South Africa's
foreign policy objectives is committed to furthering the goals of NEPAD. Hence
we are determined - within our own capacity - to work with fellow African states
in building diplomatic capacity - the capacity of a truly African diplomatic corps.
In this regard we have embarked on several co-operation programmes. In July this
year for example, we hosted a group of South Sudanese diplomats who underwent
diplomatic training. The programme was arranged in co-operation with the University
of South Africa and will form part of an ongoing capacity-building project to
assist Sudan during the six years envisaged for its political transition. We are
also in the process of assisting various other African states with customised
training interventions. The programme that has been designed for you is
similar in scope and substance to that of our own Heads of Mission course. What
has been omitted amounts to the internal matters such as conditions of service
which differ from country to country and which have, as I understand, been provided
as a foundation course by your DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since our
own freedom and the establishment of relations between our two countries, co-operation
between South Africa and the DRC has gone from strength to strength. We are grateful
of having been afforded the opportunity to contribute to resolving the problems
faced by your country in order to create a better Africa and a better world. In
addition to this other work, this training session will provide us not only with
the platform to share our own experiences and expertise but also to learn from
you and how we also can do things differently and better. The different experiences
that we bring in our engagements will enable us to make our contribution to the
vision of the rebirth of our continent to take its place as an equal partner on
the global stage, consistent with provisions of the AU and NEPAD. But we
must always be mindful that the road ahead is not going to be an easy one. We
are faced with the twin challenges of stabilising our countries and developing
our economies, while at the same time trying to create a world that is fair and
just. We therefore have a lot more to gain by working in partnership, not only
amongst ourselves, but also with other countries because we cannot ignore the
increasing pace of globalisation. We will only do so at our peril. Indeed,
we have made many gains in the last century but need to work hard and consolidate
these in order to make this, a truly African century. We have largely eliminated
the scourge of colonialism and oppression of the continent through the relentless
struggles of our peoples in achieving their independence during the latter part
of the 20th century. Since then, we as Africans have decided to take our
fate into our own hands and entered the second wave of independence. We have taken
it upon ourselves to eliminate the ongoing civil strife in many of our countries
as well as to create the conditions for good governance and democratisation. We
remain cognisant that the democratisation of our entire continent will not happen
overnight, but we have made the start. It is a difficult, yet not insurmountable
process provided the will exists. By now, it should be clear to all of us that
resolving our problems and creating the kind of world we want cannot be achieved
through war. We need to find peaceful means to solve our problems. Given the nature
of the post-colonial African State and the ever-globalising world in which we
live, conflicts are no longer limited to one country but tend to spill over to
others, thus expanding the scope of destabilisation in our continent. Diplomatic
solutions are not quick and easy, but much more enduring because the are strongly
underpinned by political commitment. Born out of struggle and revolution, our
form of diplomacy is a transformational one, seeking to bring about a better live
for all our peoples. When the people of the Congo achieved independence
in 1960, the future appeared bright indeed. As in many of our fellow African countries,
the first Democratic Republic of Congo was, however, short-lived. The DRC has
been plagued by many conflicts that have resulted in loss of lives, mainly civilian,
and left scores of others internally and externally displaced. For us this is
no cause for jubilation, and as a country, whose destiny is intertwined with that
of the continent, we recognise the important contribution that the DRC could and
must play in the rebirth of our continent. It is the diplomats of your country
that will be in the forefront of this effort. We do not intend nor do we
profess the ability to find solutions for the DRC. The ultimate power to turn
things around in the DRC lies with the Congolese people themselves. I am reminded
here of a speech made by Amilcar Cabral in 1966 entitled "The Weapon of
Theory" in which he contends that: We … know that
on the political level our own reality - however fine and attractive the reality
of others may be - can only be transformed by detailed knowledge of it, by our
own efforts, by our own sacrifices.
Therefore, " …
however great the similarity between our various cases…, national liberation
and social revolution are not exportable commodities; they are … the outcome
of local and national elaboration …" It is within this context
that we understand our co-operation with the DRC. Increased collaboration between
our two countries is a demonstration of our commitment to the Consolidation of
the African Agenda, which is a key element of our foreign policy. In turn, we
hope that anchoring our foreign policy on an African Agenda will bring us closer
to the African Renaissance and make this a truly an African century. The
potential for a brighter future is immense. The growing interconnectivity amongst
our people is nurturing the realisation that we share a common vision and destiny.
It is our wish that our partnership, and indeed friendship, be strengthened as
we work together for the reconstruction and development of the Democratic Republic
of Congo. Working within the framework of the AU, we "may eventually develop
the capacity to engage in both preventative and remedial diplomacy aimed at bringing
about inclusive and participatory peace agreements." The contemporary
African Diplomat is required to have an in-depth understanding of the complex
world of regional politics, globalisation and multilateralism. In addition, the
African Diplomat also has to contend with the fact that having overcome foreign
domination internally, struggle to transform the distribution and exercise of
power is now contested at a global level. At this level, the stakes are quite
high, where "the powerful do what they can and the weak suffer what they
must." The Diplomat is challenged to be a change agent, to challenge those
who wish to protect and perpetuate the status quo. Nowhere is this evident today
as the world's leaders converge at the 60th Anniversary of the UN to deliberate
on key issues of transformation on global governance matters. We will observe
these developments with keen interest and continue to fight for our vision of
creating a better Africa and a better world. Your Excellencies, Your
country is, indeed, currently engaged in profound and fundamental processes of
transformation. The over-arching objective is to break the vicious cycle of political
instability, poverty, and underdevelopment, as well as to strengthen the country's
capacity to defend and advance its interests in the global arena. I am confident
that together we can make valuable contribution to this vision and I wish you
well in your deliberations. The importance we attach to your training should
thus be self-evident: we are very much aware of the fact that you will be representing
not just your own country, but also the hopes and aspirations of the African continent
as do our own Heads of Missions. Once again welcome to South Africa and
I wish you a fruitful stay during your training programme and I eagerly await
feedback at the end of the course. I trust this programme will continue to foster
the relationship that already exists between the two countries. Thank you.
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