Fiji Foreign Affairs Officials selected for Pacific Diplomacy Training Programme in Wellington

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji (MFA) expresses sincere gratitude to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for the opportunity provided to a cohort of six (6) MFA staff to undergo the three (3) weeks of Pacific Diplomacy training programme.

As per the reports, the programme has been scheduled at the Victoria University of Wellington’s Pipitea campus in New Zealand from Monday, 9 to Friday, 27 October 2023.

In an event organized at the New Zealand High Commission (NZHC) in Suva, the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Lenora Qereqeretabua and New Zealand High Commissioner, Her Excellency Ms Charlotte Darlow, congratulated the MFA staff and wished them well for the training.

The Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr Lesikimacuata Korovavala, and the Deputy High Commissioner at the New Zealand High Commission, Mr Alex Shahryar-Davies, were also in attendance at the program.

On behalf of MFA, Hon. Qereqeretabua conveyed her appreciation to the New Zealand Government for providing this timely training and capacity-building opportunity for the foreign affairs staff.

She said this initiative demonstrates New Zealand’s unwavering commitment and ongoing support for Fiji’s development, with a professional training program being an essential area of Fiji-New Zealand cooperation.

The Assistant Minister also thanked High Commissioner Darlow and the NZHC Team for their incredible support and swift coordination of this new initiative.

High Commissioner Darlow reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to support Fiji through such training programs.

“We are delighted that a cohort of talented Fijian foreign affairs officials will be travelling to New Zealand to be part of this exciting professional development course.

“It is a great opportunity for them to develop their diplomacy skills further and engage with counterparts from New Zealand and other Pacific countries,” High Commissioner Darlow said.

The Pacific Diplomacy Training Programme, sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), aims to build capacity in the Pacific foreign services by encouraging closer collaboration amongst Pacific diplomats and officials.

Utilizing a practitioner-led approach, the training will provide fundamental and practical skills and the necessary knowledge and competencies for foreign service officers working and engaging in international diplomacy.

This first pilot residential programme includes a 3-week block in New Zealand and a 2-week block in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The programme’s intended outcomes are as follows: Improved service delivery and performance at an organizational level, strengthened relationships between New Zealand and Pacific Departments of Foreign Affairs and related agencies, and improved ability to transact regional business across various foreign policy issues.

In this programme, participants will learn about Fundamentals of the foreign service in the Westminster system, Te Ao Māori in foreign policy, Pacific regional architecture and diplomacy, international diplomacy, tradecraft, protocol, and consular assistance, practical frameworks and tools of diplomacy, introduction to international law and treaty-making, trade policy, bilateral trade agreements, economic architecture, climate change and natural resource diplomacy, the United Nations system and multilateral diplomacy, and communication skills, information management.