Lanka's foreign policy upholding her dignity - Part 2

Continued from Dec. 29

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ports and Civil Aviation Mangala Samaraweera's speech at the Committee Stage debate on the Budget Debate - 2006.

AS we seek to further explore our economic and foreign relations interests and our own niche markets, there is an urgent need to fill this lacuna by creating a strategic studies institute.

Such an institute will function as a forum where policy makers, academics and practitioners of diplomacy and foreign relations could meet and develop ideas and conduct activities for capacity building.

This House, I am certain, will wholeheartedly welcome the decision already taken by the Government, on the initiative of the President, to rename the existing institution, the Sri Lanka Institute for International Relations, as the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies.

This indeed would be a fitting tribute to the memory of an outstanding personality of our time who made a permanent imprint on our foreign policy decision making. As the House would be aware, we already have an Act passed in Parliament to have a Strategic Studies Institute.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now examining the legal aspects of using this Act or a new version of it to establish the Institution.

A project report has been developed with a view to making proposals to implement this project through a Cabinet Paper.

This new institution will have an emphasis on policy research and studies programme beginning with strategic, security and foreign relations issues that are particular to small countries like Sri Lanka.

As an example, this could include interface between foreign relations and peace making, economic imperatives of foreign relations, security of small island status and similar subjects on these lines.

The Minister of Finance and the Treasury have pledged a funding commitment of Rs. 70 Million for this purpose.

As regards appointments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka Missions overseas, the following measures have been adopted: Open Competitive Examination for recruitment of Officers to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service Grade III was held in February 2005.

The Examinations Department has just released the results and the recruitment procedure will be completed soon. The next Examination will also be gazetted and held soon thereafter.

An Open Competitive Examination for recruitment of Clerical Officers to Sri Lanka Missions abroad has been gazetted on 21st October 2005 and interviews will be held by January 2006. It is expected to complete the recruitment process by end of April 2006.

An Open competitive examination for recruitment of Stenographers to Sri Lanka Missions abroad has been gazetted on 7th October 2005 and interviews will be conducted by January 2006. The process will be finalized by April 2006.

Action has also been taken by my Ministry to select employees of other grades currently working in the Ministry to be appointed to Sri Lanka Missions abroad on the basis of approved schemes of recruitment.

I wish to assure this House, that all appointments, whether staff grades or minor grades, either in the Ministry or in Missions abroad, will be done in accordance with an approved scheme of recruitment with a marking scheme which will be as objective as possible. The past practice of recruiting from outside the approved scheme has been discontinued.

I will continue the practice of my illustrious predecessor of not sending out to Missions, persons who do not have the requisite qualifications or ability to work in foreign countries. The staffing policy will be done with due emphasis on qualifications and professionalism.

The Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensures the protection and welfare of Sri Lankan citizens living abroad through Sri Lanka Missions, the Consulate Generals, and Honorary Consuls.

Several measures have been taken to streamline and strengthen Consular Services to make it more cost effective and user friendly.

The activities of this Division entails the following functions: the authentication of documents, complaints related to Sri Lankan expatriates, facilitation of payment of compensation to deaths and repatriation of human remains and matters related to fishing boats and ships, repatriation of detainees and registration of births, marriages and deaths.

New technology has been introduced, so that people who go for various documentation can be served in a more expeditious manner and inconvenience to them can be minimized. Assistance from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has been obtained to install computer links and the Ministry plans to work with Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) to further improve these services.

To cite some examples, during this year, the Consular Division had authenticated 116, 696 documents. The revenue thus collected amounting to SLRs. 12,027,096/-. 759 cases of complaints were reported to the Consular Division relating to repatriation of Sri Lankan expatriates.

The number of deaths reported were 230. The number of human remains brought to Sri Lanka was 134 and the number of human remains buried abroad was 67.

The number of cases pending is 29. There were 18 fishing boats in the custody of foreign governments of which 16 cases have been settled. Sri Lanka Missions abroad have registered 3981 births, and the revenue thus collected was Rs. 17,120,873/-.

Sri Lanka Missions have registered 479 marriages, and the revenue thus collected was SLRs. 4,000,090/-. The number of cases of expatriate Sri Lankans stranded or detained has been reported as 268. The number of cases settled so far is 231.

(Concluded)