Sri Lanka Foreign Service: Need for return of glory days

The Government recently announced plans to open two new overseas missions, namely in New Zealand and Kazakhstan. This will add to the 55 missions Sri Lanka maintains abroad at present. Opening new overseas missions would be a good idea if the country was doing better economically but coming at a time when the economy remains in the doldrums isn’t the wisest of decisions.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has gone public stating that there is a shortage of personnel at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of the approved cadre of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFA) of 264 members, there are only 168 diplomatic officers to man 55 missions abroad as well run 24 divisions in the MFA. What the rationale behind opening more new missions when the Minister in charge says that the MFA is short staffed is unclear but more seriously, can and should Sri Lanka maintain this number of overseas missions when the benefits from maintaining them at high costs is minimal?

The SLAS has seen its better days and has been on the decline for years now. Like almost all other State sectors, this too has seen mediocracy set in rapidly with the number of men and women who can represent Sri Lanka in foreign lands and international forums, in a manner which does not embarrass the country, being a handful. Politicisation has been the main cause of this decline with meritocracy being replaced by favouritism when recruitments are made. The few talented young men and women who get selected on merit are sidelined and some have expressed frustration at the manner in which postings are given, with the ones with the ‘pull’ getting the plum stations while otters get relegated to those places which are least attractive.

Most of the heads of mission appointments made of late have also been political and some of the most crucial capitals are manned by political appointees, many of them least qualified to hold a top diplomatic post. For them it’s a one long Government paid holiday during which they can travel at State expense (mostly on first class and business class airfare) and enjoy many other perks. The Sri Lanka High Commission (SLHC) in London in December put out a Tweet saying that the High Commissioner Rohitha Bogollagama, a man noted for his high living at State expense, had flown economy when he attended a meeting in Ghana. It was a futile attempt to deflect attention from criticism of the Lankan envoy for his extravagances at State expense.

He is just one of many who have been sent out to represent Sri Lanka, but many spend their three-year term doing little to bolster the image of the country abroad and use their time on personal matters.

It is a damning indictment of any State institution, or for that matter even a private organisation, if retirees have to be reinstated to keep the organisation functioning. However qualified or efficient such persons may be, they have served out their time and retired so that those occupying the next tier can take over and run these organisations.

Sadly, in Sri Lanka, not only at the MFA but other places have recalled retirees to salvage the image of some organisations. This does little to encourage younger and able personnel to take over the mantle.

If Minister Sabry has the interests of the SLFS at heart, opening new missions should not be the priority. In fact, the country would be better served by downsizing some of the existing ones and closing some of them altogether. What is needed is a better system of recruitment of members to the SLFS. This is going beyond issuing newspaper noticed or a gazette announcing new recruitments. To select the best, the MFA should send its personnel to visit schools and higher education institutions, educate students/undergraduates, etc. that a promising career awaits those who take on the challenge of being true ambassadors for the country overseas and select the best from the younger generation so that the SLFS can once again go back to its days of glory when Sri Lankan diplomats had the confidence and the competence to rub shoulders with colleagues from any part of the world and hold their own.