Civil servants planning to take up diplomatic positions need to understand Fiji’s foreign policy settings and the agendas, which have matured and organically developed since 2006.
Public Service Commission chairman, Josefa Serulagilagi was speaking at the Diplomatic Induction Training for civil servants looking at a career in Fiji’s growing network of diplomatic presence, a course designed and conducted by Fiji’s Ambassador to Japan, His Excellency Mr Isikeli Mataitoga.
He said the level of independence shown by Fiji’s foreign policy agenda and practice will need to be maintained with bilateral and regional relations to be on a new footing, as the new power balancing needed to be taken into account.
Mr Serulagilagi also said that human resource development cannot be separated from economic progress and there were several advances in technology that many die-hard civil servants were still grappling with.
He said there was still a preference for “the long laborious tasks of pushing pens and punching files, rather than pressing touch-go buttons that reduces work durations immensely”.
“There is no denying that it is very important for all Government agencies to bring into full play the role of skills development and training, in improving the quality and capacity of workers,” Mr Serulagilagi said.
“This is vital because we expect ownership and commitment, to carry the agenda through, despite the many challenges we have faced and those that await us in the future.”
The week-long programme will see diplomats from countries such as India, the United States of America and Papua New Guinea speaking to the participants.
Participants of the Diplomatic Induction Training with PS PSC Parmesh Chand, PSC chairman Josefa Serulagilagi and Fiji's Ambassador to Japan, HE Isikeli Mataitoga