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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Siphosezwe Masango, has described the public seminar on the Foreign Service Bill held in Pretoria as a resounding success.

The Committee hosted various stakeholders in Pretoria on Tuesday to have an input into the Bill that is aimed at providing for operational requirements that are suitable and supportive to the Foreign Service in a global environment.

“The Committee is extremely satisfied with the work that has been done so far, especially that the Bill is the first of its kind since the democratic dispensation. The work now will be taken to sister departments that the Bill will impact on, like Economic Development, Trade and Industry, and Home Affairs,” Mr Masango said.

“Consultations will continue and the departments should give us their views on how they are affected by the Bill and how they hope the Bill could improve their operations,” he said.
Participants at the seminar alerted the Committee to a number of issues that the Bill needs to address, including among other things, the calibre of diplomats, role of youths, overlapping roles with sister departments.

Former ambassadors, think tanks, academics, experts in the field, non-governmental organisations, business, academics, labour and sister departments attended the seminar.
Dr Aziz Pahad, Chair of the South African Council on International Relations and former Deputy Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs, gave a keynote address and described the Bill as “an important instrument for effectively implementing SA’s foreign policy whose success hinged on the ability of the Department (of International Relations and Cooperation) to enhance public diplomacy, economic and trade diplomacy and ensuring that SA continues to be an influential global player”.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson, Mr Siphosezwe Masango