Outbound diplomats assigned to various missions abroad should remember to always revive, promote, protect and defend Namibia’s positions and interests, deputy international relations minister Jenelly Matundu has said.
These duties, she added, are essential, considering the accruing benefits in terms of entrenching beliefs, and culture, constructing and winning a future generation that will naturally identify with the course of Namibia in the recipient countries of Africa, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) and beyond.
“Achieving these futuristic foreign policy goals is also in line with the national determination for effective and visible representation at all levels of the diplomatic landscape,” Matundu stated during the closing of an induction workshop for diplomats last week.
Thirty-seven diplomats, of which only eight are men, have been selected to be posted to various diplomatic missions abroad in Africa, Asia, America and Europe. They will be posted in the positions of first/second secretary for political and economic, second secretary for administration and finance, and third secretary for office administration respectively for a four-year period, starting this month.
She noted that defending and projecting Namibia’s national interest and realising its development aspirations is a responsibility that should be taken with seriousness.
Matundu stated: “We must remain committed to taking bold steps to transform our country as we work to support the President’s economic growth and diversification plans through the promotion of real Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), particularly within the development-oriented industries in such sectors as agriculture, manufacturing/production, infrastructure, mining, tourism, ICT, and oil and gas in line with the policy of localisation.”
The outbound diplomats were groomed and well-equipped for representational duties with the core approach to enable implementation of their respective station charters, particularly as it impacts citizen’s protection and services.
Matundu stated that Namibians abroad must make respective mission stations their conducive second homes, must always be received and treated with dignity, and their interests must always be fully and legitimately protected.
Executive director in the line ministry, Penda Naanda yesterday told New Era that the international relations ministry has introduced a posting policy that guides the operations of the foreign service, including the rotation of foreign service personnel.
He added the ministry institutionalised this policy, with the current Namibian diplomats selected and deployed based on competitive examinations and interviews.
The former ambassador said foreign service is a unique, distinct and specialised entity all over the world, therefore, the ministry will continue to deploy competitive diplomats to professionalise its foreign service and to ensure the successful implementation of Namibia’s Policy on International Relations and Cooperation, while representing Namibia globally.