A foreign ministry for the 21st century? Canada needs more DFAIT, and the world needs more diplomacy
It’s not easy to be a Canadian diplomat these days. The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)’s budget is slated to shrink by some CAD $315 million within the next three years. Missions abroad, and regional offices at home, are closing. Cultural and educational programs are being cut. Jobs have been lost, and new hiring has been frozen. The terms and conditions of service are under relentless downward pressure, and the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers recently voted 82% in favour of initiating job action, including a possible strike, in response. Canada’s global diplomatic footprint is shrinking, and as a result the country’s capacity to engage a changing world has been diminished. I believe that the economies are false, and the consequences dire. However unfashionable, more than ever diplomacy has much to offer as an international policy instrument. Its approach to the non-violent management of international relations through dialogue, negotiation and compromise is highly cost-effective. Skills such as knowledge-based problem solving and complex balancing have never been more valuable. But the profession has been slow to adapt to the evolution of the operating environment, is widely misunderstood, and suffers from a debilitating image problem. Indeed, just when it is needed most, diplomacy’s institutions and practices are in crisis. Before a credible case can be made for the infusion of new resources, ways must be found to improve performance. Far-reaching reform will be required. The good news is that, if done right, it should be possible to make a virtue of necessity. And the basic elements of the required package have already been identified.