Honour Kadir: Save the Foreign Service

Today, 12 August, marks the 16th death anniversary of one of Sri Lanka’s most illustrious sons, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister par excellence and true patriotic son of Sri Lanka.

Much has been written about the late Lakshman Kadirgamar and his service to Sri Lanka. Accepting the invitation to become the Foreign Minister in the Chandrika Kumaratunga Government in 1994 at the age of 62, he inherited a diplomatic establishment in shambles. Between the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom and the brutal crushing of a southern insurgency, the Sri Lankan State ranked among the worst human rights violators of the world.

Believing that ‘image is a reflection of reality,’ Kadirgamar did not merely attempt to change perceptions about Sri Lanka through propaganda. Instead, he genuinely attempted, and often succeeded, in changing realities on the ground. Even amid an escalating war, he pushed for human rights and humanitarian law training for Government troops. It was with unique eloquence that the former Foreign Minister spoke of post-war peace. He was certain that the day would come when the war would end, but he was also keenly aware that winning the peace with minority communities would be harder. He was brutally silenced by the LTTE on 12 August 2005.

One of Minister Kadirgamar’s most enduring legacies were the reforms he put in place at the Foreign Ministry. After decades of entrance into the coveted Sri Lanka Foreign Service being determined by political patronage alone, Minister Kadirgamar ensured an open and competitive processes for recruiting some of the country’s brightest youngsters to the career diplomatic service. These recruits were given opportunities to shine and hone the professional skills required for successful diplomacy. Regular recruitment ensured a steady flow of new blood into the system.

Today, the institution Lakshman Kadirgamar most cherished, believed and invested in – the professional diplomatic service – lies in great peril. Reports have surfaced that the Ministry is in the process of privatising the Foreign Service. Hand-picked private sector companies have been requested to nominate individuals to serve in Sri Lanka’s most vital missions abroad. The basis on which these companies were chosen remains unclear. By this move, the Government stands in clear violation of established procedures for the recruitment of new officers to the Foreign Service. In fact, competitive examinations have already been held and interviews are due for shortlisted candidates.

The private sector nominee system flies in the face of this transparency in recruitment. A merit-based recruitment process, based on a competitive exam and interview, allows for the selection of the best candidates from across the island. Instead, the Ministry has decided to allow a select group of private companies to second their personnel to represent Sri Lanka in embassies abroad.

Professional Foreign Service officers are not recruited ‘ready-made’. Minister Kadirgamar’s reforms at the Ministry included necessary investments in career advancement of the professional diplomatic cadre. A SLFS officer must be fluent in the two national languages, Sinhala and Tamil, while being competent in English and at least one other international language. As a minimum requirement, each SLFS officer must obtain a master’s degree in international relations or related subject before the completion of 10 years in the service. Furthermore, in a changing world of global diplomacy, modern day career diplomats must be equipped with negotiation, communication, and inter-personal skills in addition to these basic requirements.

Assuming that recruitment from the private sector is transparent and without political influence – a highly doubtful prospect – there more to be done to produce a professional diplomat. It would be far more prudent to follow the late Minister Kadirgamar’s lead and transform the SLFS into a professional body. If the current policymakers at the Ministry need inspiration, they need only look to the foreign services of the South Asian region for lessons.

It would be foolish to expect those who currently run the Foreign Ministry to match the vision and acumen of the late Foreign Minister Kadirgamar. But it is not too much to ask that they do not tear down what he so painstakingly built. On the 16th anniversary of his death, it is hoped the authorities will reflect on his legacy and seek to protect and uplift the Foreign Service. There could be no greater tribute to a true son of Sri Lanka.