By: Mohamed M. Sesay
President Julius Maada Bio has on the 5th of January 2023, accomplished another manifesto promise by officially commissioning Sierra Leone’s first ever Foreign Service Academy in Freetown.
Additionally, the academy supported with funds from the Chinese would serve as the maiden Foreign Service Academy within the Mano River Region.
The Foreign Service Academy would now train and produce career diplomats for global engagements.
In his address, President Bio recalled that over the past four and half years, his Government’s main foreign policy focus has involved strengthening external relations for integration.
He said the New Direction Agenda promotes international cooperation built on mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual benefit with our strategic partners.
He added that his government has strategically rebranded the nation and repositioned it with pride in the comity of nations through proactive, constructive, and productive engagements with the rest of the World.
President Bio noted that a necessary policy action to strengthen international cooperation outlined in his Government’s Medium-Term National Development Plan was to establish a Foreign Service Academy to train and produce career diplomats for global engagement.
“It gives me great satisfaction that my Government has realized that vision by establishing the first Foreign Service Academy in Sierra Leone within two years”, he said.
President Bio also assured the nation that the Foreign Service Academy would now enable the country to solidify its efforts in promoting Sierra Leone’s foreign policy and strengthening cooperation with regional and international partners.
He disclosed that his government would focus on upskilling and reskilling the existing Foreign Service workforce through the Foreign Service Academy.
Also, he said the Academy would recruit and train a dedicated cadre of professional career diplomats that would be globally competitive in changing the World.
President Bio also edified that the vision of the Newly Commissioned Foreign Service Commission is to deliver world-class diplomatic training and provide the career-long learning opportunities that the Government of Sierra Leone’s Foreign Service professionals need to excel in today’s global arena, advance the country’s foreign policy and foster international cooperation, trade and investments.
He furthered that the Foreign Service Academy would produce well-rounded professionals who can work with people from other cultures with different values, political beliefs, and religions. He said the future of Sierra Leonean diplomats is ascertained to be well-versed in working with national, multilateral, multinational, and international organizations. He added that the Academy would train professionals to negotiate partnerships and international instruments that foster the nation’s interests, promote trade and economic interests, and pursue multilateral solutions to transnational issues.
“Our collective aspiration is that the future of the foreign Service professionals are well-trained career diplomats committed to serving only the supreme interest of the State and the Government of the day. They must be professionals who transcend political affiliations and abide by the oath of promoting the interest of Sierra Leone and its people on the continent and internationally”, he said.